The Hero of Legend
by Romojr50
Summary: Before the sceptor and the trips to the heavens, the stories speak of an epic quest against evil... DQ3 novelization
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest 3 does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Prologue

The green dragon swooped down on the man, but the man's reflexes were too quick and he jumped clear over the dragon. The man quickly turned around to find his foe. The dragon swooped around and came down for another attack on the man, but pulled upwards before he reached the man, hoping to fake the man into jumping again. However, the man's reflexes saved him again, for he had prepared to jump but stopped just in time.

The dragon was angry now. The human had dodged it twice now and it did not usually take the dragon this long to kill a weak human. But no human could withstand a dragon's fire breath. So the dragon inhaled and unleashed a stream of fire upon the human. Unfortunately for the dragon, the human reacted to its inhaling and pulled up its shield; a magical shield that could block fire.

The dragon stubbornly kept breathing its terrible fire at the human, not even trying to get around the shield. What kind of shield can withstand fire? The dragon would see that accursed piece of metal melted on the ground and the human holding his left hand in agony.

But the shield held and the dragon ran out of breath. The dragon was beyond angry now. It came down for another swoop attack on the human. Unfortunately, the human was more than ready this time. The human jumped, but not high enough the completely clear the dragon. Instead, the human brought his sword up and slashed the dragon's right wing clear off.

The dragon hit the ground hard and the man didn't give him a chance to recover. The man ran up to the dragon and stabbed it in the heart. The dragon writhed in agony.

The man walked up to his kill and took a moment to catch his breath. The reality of the situation hit him. His comrades were gone, killed when they had been ambushed while scaling the volcano. He had escaped death by chance. A monster's spell had sent him over a cliff. The monsters must have thought him to be dead for sure, and they were almost right. However, the man had enough in him to cast healing spells on himself, and he climbed up the cliff to try and aid his friends.

However, the dragon had not been killed by the man's stab. As the man stood there catching his breath and his thoughts, the dragon got up again. So absorbed was the man in his reverie that he did not notice. The dragon did not have enough strength to breath fire or even fly, but it used its strength to try and ram the man. The man came back to the present too late; the dragon rammed into him and died on top of him. Even more unfortunate for the man was the fact that they were close to the edge of the volcano. The dragon's massive weight crashed into him and sent both of them into the volcano…

* * *

Aliahan had once been considered a great and glorious place. The two previous Great Wars had seen great heroes rise from Aliahan. The first great hero of Aliahan, Simon, had united humanity in the first Great War against the forces of the Master Archfiend. The resulting war almost wiped out human and monster alike, but both survived.

It was because of the second Great War that Aliahan lost its standing in the war. The Master Archfiend's only surviving apprentice inherited its master's magic and once again brought a force of monsters against humanity. But, like before, a hero from Aliahan, Desmond, united humanity to meet the threat. The monster, who was only given the title Archfiend, was no match for humanity's forces.

However, the true struggle of the war came after the Archfiend's defeat. With the great force he had command of as a result of the War; Desmond began to abuse his power. He invaded the territories that he had protected and brought about the Aliahan Empire. Not only that, but he proved to be a tyrannous ruler. Eventually, his subjects rose against him and he was forced to retreat back to Aliahan itself. There he held out in a bitter siege as the people of Aliahan stood by the ruler that had come from their own land. But eventually, Desmond's tyranny was too much even for his native people, and they too rebelled against him.

But from that time on, Aliahan would be shamed. As the world rebuilt, it came time to divide up territories among the different nations. Aliahan had been vanquished, and had caused the world a lot of trouble. To stop other nations from preying on Aliahan, a powerful wizard, who had fought with Desmond, sealed up the Cave of Enticement, which contained a Traveler's Gate that served as transportation to and from the Kingdom of Romaly. With the cave, and the Gate, sealed Aliahan became hard to reach. As it was a long trip by ship, the other nations decided not to bother with Aliahan, which really had little to offer. However, Aliahan had to swear never to break the seal or interact with other nations. Aliahan had to be isolated from the world.

Aliahan was not completely isolated. Ships came by every so often that brought some news of the outside world and engaged in trade. But for the most part, the isolation stayed true. However, when one ship brought rumors of a new Archfiend rising up, a man of Aliahan decided to depart with the ship and gather news of the fiend. The man's name was Ortega.

Recently, another ship came to Aliahan, this one bearing bad news. Ortega had gathered news about the Archfiend and found that it posed a significant threat to humanity. Ortega tried to forge alliances with different nations, but none would hear him out. Then Ortega and a small band of warriors tried to run a reconnaissance mission on the Archfiend castle, high up in a distant mountain range. There, he and the band met their ends on the top of a volcano.

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm intending to write a novelization of Dragon Quest 3. However, life will most likely often get in the way. I've just been feeling inspired lately and DQ3 is one of my favorite games. Your reviews are quite appreciated.


	2. Chapter 1: The Test Begins

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 1: The Test Begins

Today was a big day for Suzanne. For one, it was her 16th birthday. By Aliahan law, she was now allowed full rights to weapons and armor so long as she registered her intent to use such items with the Castle. As birthday gifts, she received a full set of leather armor and a copper sword, some of the best equipment Aliahan had to offer. But why would a girl of her age need to wield weapons and armor?

It was because Suzanne planned to go on a journey. Eight years ago, her father, Ortega, left Aliahan to find information on the Archfiend the nation had heard about. Then, three years ago, news came of Ortega's demise. From that time onward, young Suzanne knew she wanted to take up her father's quest right where he left off. She would leave Aliahan, acquire information on the Archfiend, and convince any who listened that now was not the time for petty squabble or politics among the nations.

Of course, there was the matter of how to leave Aliahan. Ships came far too infrequently to serve as much use. The ship that told of her father's death had been the most recent ship to come to Aliahan. Besides that, most ships would not accept people of Aliahan to take back with them. So Suzanne made a petition to the king to have the seal on the Cave of Enticement lifted.

This, of course, was not a small request. The seal was put in place to protect Aliahan from the wrath of the other nations. However, according to the traders that came by, the hatred against Aliahan had lessened. By no means had the other nations forgiven Aliahan, but they were not about to attack Aliahan even if they were made more accessible by lifting the seal.

So it was that Suzanne was awoken by her mother on the morning of her 16th birthday and taken to the Castle for an audience with the king.

* * *

The king sat upon his throne, wearing a robe of gold and red and carrying in his hand a golden scepter.

"You know child, that this is a great request you make of me. To lift the seal on the Cave of Enticement would put Aliahan at risk, even if the resentment against our people has lessened these past decades," the king said.

"I know, your Majesty," Suzanne replied.

"I admit it would be nice to have more news of the outside world. But I will not put Aliahan at risk for nothing. Your goal, you say, is to follow in your father's footsteps? To gather information on this so-called Archfiend and warn the people of the outside world against petty feuds and wars at this time?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

The king paused for a moment before continuing. "Forgive me for saying so, but is it not your lust for revenge that propels you forward? Your father was killed by the fiend's forces and you wish to have their heads for it. That is understandable. But what happens when you are cornered on all sides by vile beasts and all hope appears gone? What happens when people laugh at the idea of even listening to a citizen of Aliahan? Will you bloodlust continue? Will you continue your quest?"

However, Suzanne was not faced by the king's words. She spoke confidently and yet also politely, "Your Majesty, with all due respect, I have had three years to calm my 'bloodlust.' I do not do this simply to avenge my father. I do this because I believe as he did that something must be done, even if none will listen to one from our land."

The king took another moment to consider what the young woman said. Then, he spoke again, "You are but a young woman, barely even old enough by the law to wield a sword. Do you intend to go alone?"

If Suzanne did not have as cool a head as she did, she might have gotten angry. She despised how the people of Aliahan viewed women: as weak in body and weak in will. She could not but feel the king echoed these opinions in this last question. Yet, she remained polite and confident in her next words, "No, your Majesty, I do not intend to go alone. I will be joined by Ron the soldier, Thomas the cleric, and Alice the mage."

The king looked up at the mention of Ron's name. "Ron you say? He is a fine lad and quite skilled in the art of battle. He will make a fine leader to your group. I have also heard of Thomas. I know little of magic, but I am told he is a fine healer. A mage in your ranks does not hurt either."

Suzanne could not help but notice the king neglected to mention Alice by name or praise her ability, as she too was skilled in her art. Nonetheless, she made sure not to say anything of the sort to the king. The king went on talking, "It is not lightly I allow this, but you are granted permission to break the seal on the Cave of Enticement. As far as how to accomplish this, you should seek out the Drasoran family in the village of Reeve. They know more of the seal than anyone. Now, you are dismissed."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Suzanne curtsied and left the royal hall. She knew of the Drasoran family already. The only Drasorans left were the wizards, Borthan and Nathan. They were the grandchildren of Gerald Drasoran, who had fought with Desmond against the Archfiend in the second Great War and who had personally put the seal in place on the Cave of Enticement.

* * *

"Susie!"

As Suzanne walked into Lucia's Eatery, she was greeted by her good friend, Alice. Alice has always been an energetic girl. Her cheerfulness and eagerness often made people underestimate her intelligence, which would be a mistake.

"It's about time you got here. So are we ready to go on a real adventure?"

That voice came from Ron. If Ron weren't a friend of Suzanne's, she would describe him as a 'typical guy.' Macho and reckless almost to a fault, he was also nonetheless a confident and hardworking person.

"Hold on guys. We don't know if the king approved our adventure yet."

The voice of cold reality belonged to Thomas. For a cleric, he certainly wasn't cheerful or sympathetic. He had a realistic, sometimes pessimistic, demeanor about him that made many criticize him as being cold or uncaring, but his friends knew it was because he cared that made him want to look at the reality of situations.

"Well, you need not worry," began Suzanne. "The king gave us permission to break the seal."

"Alright! So where's our first destination? Reeve, I'm guessing," said Alice.

"You're right. We're going to try and talk with the Drasoran brothers," replied Suzanne.

"Hmmm, and what if they deny our request? The king's approval could very well mean nothing then," said Thomas.

Ron shook his head. "Hey Tom, lighten up will you? I'm sure we'll figure something out if that happens."

"Like what? Study the seal ourselves? That would take—"

Suzanne cut in. "Not now guys. Tom, you bring up a good point, but for the moment there's nothing we can do about it. We're just going to go to Reeve and talk to them."

Ron spoke up again, "Okay guys, everyone ready?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Take up positions and move out."

* * *

After a few days of journeying, the group made it to the village of Reeve. The journey saw few hardships. The land of Aliahan had a small share of monsters. Not many of the monsters were dangerous; there were only slimes and bigger, mutated versions of ravens, anteaters, and rabbits.

The village was not very extravagant by any means, but neither was any settlement in Aliahan save for the castle town.

When they entered the town, Alice spoke up first, "Okay, if I were a couple of powerful wizards, where would I live?"

"Might we try finding them tomorrow? I'm feeling a little tired," said Thomas, who indeed sounded weary.

"Ha! If you can't handle that little journey how are you going to handle the mountains we will surely climb and the battles we will surely fight later," questioned Ron.

"We'll have plenty of time to get used to the road later. For now, I'm with Tom, that was a tiring walk. How about if we go get rooms at the inn and you two just try to find where the brothers live before the day ends?" Suzanne suggested.

Alice, like Ron, didn't seem tired at all. "Sounds like a good plan! Come on, Ron!"

"Hold on, I'm coming."

* * *

"So what did you find out?" Suzanne asked as the two came into one of the two rooms Suzanne and Thomas had gotten for the night.

"Uh, you're not going to believe this," began Ron.

"We might have a problem," continued Alice.

"Yes? And what is this problem?" asked Thomas, sounding impatient.

Alice took a deep breath. "I'll tell the story. Apparently, Borthan has cast up a seal on the Drasoran house. They say it's about as powerful as the one on the cave. At the same time he did that, Nathan disappeared altogether."

Suzanne's jaw literally dropped. She recovered after a moment and asked, "Are you kidding me! Why?"

Ron took up the story from here, "We don't know. As far as Nathan goes, he disappeared the same day Borthan sealed himself up. Nobody knows where he is. When we went near the Drasoran residence, a voice called out to us and said, 'To prove yourself worthy of breaking the seal, you need only open the door to this residence!'"

Thomas shook his head. "What happened when you tried the door?"

Alice continued, "It was locked. No mystical force pushed us back or anything. Only thing is, Ron tried to break down the door."

Suzanne turned to Ron. "You tried to break down the door to the Drasoran house? Do you know what kind of consequences that could entail?"

"Relax, it didn't work!" defended Ron. "Some people we talked to said they tried the same thing themselves, even in large groups. It won't budge."

"So, let me get this straight. Borthan Drasoran knows someone wants to break the seal. Not unlikely, he is a powerful wizard. So he must also know how to do so, as we suspected, but he won't let anyone into his house. But he says if we can get through the door to his house, we've proven ourselves worthy of breaking the seal?" Thomas recapped.

"Sounds about right," confirmed Alice.

The group was silent for a while. After a few minutes, Suzanne had a suggestion, "Okay, I think we have to find Nathan. His disappearance at such a time is likely no coincidence. This is some sort of test. Maybe if we find Nathan, he'll tell us how to pass the test."

* * *

Author's notes: I've only played the NES version of DQ3, so I don't know much about the beginning sequence of the GBC remake (or any other remakes). Thus, those sequences will not be in this story. Sorry about that.


	3. Chapter 2: The Tower of Najima

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 2: The Tower of Najima

"How was I supposed to know they were hiding in there!" Ron shouted.

"Horned rabbits love to hide in bushes like that! How didn't you know that!" Alice shouted back at him.

"Why are you complaining anyway! It's nothing we couldn't handle!" Ron asked.

Alice did not seem to think that was consolidation enough. She pointed to her left leg where there was a visible tear in her traveler's robes and a small scar underneath the tear. "Do you see this scar! That thing got me right in the leg! What if the scar never goes away!"

Ron threw his hands up in exasperation. "You're fine! My man Tom here healed you up, and healed you up damn well I might add! In fact," he turned to Thomas, "I think she was criticizing your healing abilities Tom! Are you going to take that from her?"

Thomas gave Ron a look that basically said, "If you drag me into this you will have much more than a small scar to worry about." Ron decided not to continue his attempts in dragging Thomas into the argument.

As the group neared the castle town of Aliahan, Ron and Alice continued their argument. The day before, the group had been ambushed by a group of horned rabbits. Alice and Suzanne had warned their leader about taking them into the forest and then warned him again about taking them near a large group of bushes, but Ron had ignored them saying, "I'm sure there's nothing in there too dangerous."

All in all, the encounter had not been too dangerous, but one of the rabbits slipped past Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas, who were all fighting in melee against the giant rabbits, to attack Alice. It gave her a large wound to the leg that might have been serious if not healed immediately. Luckily, the three front-line fighters dispatched three of the rabbits while Alice, despite the pain, blasted her attacker with a fireball. Thomas was able to heal Alice right after that.

Since the encounter, Alice had been angry with Ron over leading them in to such a situation. Meanwhile, Suzanne and Thomas had thought over and discussed the current situation. They found nobody in all of Reeve who had any clue as to where Nathan would be. However, they came across a strange rumor that may be helpful.

Apparently, there was a thief named Baker who had been running rampant in northern Aliahan recently. The amount of gold and items he had stolen valued in thousands of pieces of gold, maybe even tens of thousands of gold. It seems as though the reason he was so successful was that he could just walk up to houses, as though he was the owner of the house, unlock the door and just walk in.

Alice had been the one to suggest seeking out the thief. "The door had some sort of toughening spell on it to resist attempts to force it. But I don't think there was any sort of holding spell on the door to keep it shut. I think we could open it if we could get the key or, in this case, pick the lock."

However, some people of the village had already tried that. There was a very advance lock on the door. However, the lack of any magic keeping it shut encouraged Alice to suggest seeking out Baker himself. Thomas had shown skepticism, but the Ron and Suzanne both agreed they had little to lose in trying. As far as money for food and shelter was concerned, they earned enough in selling parts of the monsters they killed to make up for that.

It turns out, Baker had finally been caught. Due to the reputation he had built up, he had been taken to the prison in Aliahan castle, of which there was no more secure prison in the land. Thomas had been quick to suggest that it was unlikely that he would be allowed out of prison to help them after the amount he had stolen, but once again he was overruled.

* * *

According to the guards, Baker testified that he had made a key to rob the houses. That is how he was able to unlock the door casually and act like he belonged. The key was a sort of lock-pick that Baker had made so masterfully it could pick most locks and yet the device looked just like a key. But when the guards asked Baker where the stolen goods were, he told them he couldn't get into the area he had stored them since the key had been taken from him by someone else. In fact, that's how he ended up being caught, the fact he no longer had his key.

It was not very difficult to get a chance to talk with Baker. He had not actually harmed anyone, so he was not treated as a murderer. As the group walked over the cell where Baker was being held, he seemed both confused and angry that he had visitors.

"What, are you showing me off to people now?" Baker asked as the guard brought the group to his cell. "Ooh, look at us, look at us! We caught the thief Baker! Come one and all to see the amazing thief in his cell!"

Ron was first to address the thief, "We're not here to gawk at your sorry behind. We're here for information."

Baker did not seem cooperative. "Oh really? I've been interrogated by better men then you. You don't scare me."

Suzanne cut in at this point, "This isn't an interrogation. We just heard about the key you made. We were wondering where it is right now."

Baker suddenly became very angry. "How many times are you people going to ask!" he shouted. "If I knew where it was, I'd tell you all so I could at least get a lighter sentence!"

"Hey, pipe down over there!" one of the guards shouted at Baker.

Suzanne continued, "What happened to your key?"

Baker shook his head in exasperation. "You won't believe me, just like all the other idiots here."

"Try us." Suzanne challenged.

"I was robbing this house when this wizard came to me and used his magic to disable me. He said that if I wanted it back I could find him on top of the Tower of Najima." Baker explained.

"A wizard you say?" Suzanne mused. "Thank you, you have been very helpful. I believe we'll be trying to find your key soon. If we do, I promise we'll come back and give it to you so you can negotiate a lighter sentence."

Baker did not seem convinced. "Yeah, whatever lady."

As the group walked out, Thomas summed up the situation, "How convenient. It appears Nathan took Baker's key and went to the Tower of Najima. To open the door to their house, it seems we must climb the tower ourselves. However, if I remember correctly, it is rather difficult to get to the tower these days. And once we get there, word says that there are plenty of monsters in the tower."

Alice, apparently having forgotten yesterday's encounter, did not seem deterred by the idea of monsters. "Hey, now we know what we have to do! We just go in that tower and find Nathan!"

* * *

The Tower of Najima was made after the first Great War to commemorate those that died in the war. It became a place of worship to the people as well. However, in the second Great War, Desmond would hold his final stand in the tower, cutting off all bridges and tunnels to the tower to make it inaccessible. However, the rebels of Aliahan cut a tunnel of their own to the tower. They put the entrance to the tunnel far away from any towns or villages, on the southwest tip of the island nation.

When the group visited the castle library, they found an old map of Aliahan from when the tunnel was being constructed. After finding out about the tunnel, the group decided it was their best choice for reaching the tower. Unfortunately, this would prove to be quite a journey. It would take them three days to reach the tunnel, and then they would have to fight their way through both the tunnel and the tower. Nevertheless, the team stocked up on supplies, making sure to pack plenty of medicinal herbs.

The journey to the tunnel went routinely. Although the team was forced to go through the southern forests of Aliahan in order to get to the tunnel, Ron was careful not to lead the group into an ambush this time.

* * *

"This tunnel is in surprisingly good shape for a tunnel made five decades ago." Thomas noted as the group entered.

"Yeah I know! This is awesome! We're crawling around in history right here!" Alice exclaimed.

Thomas did not seem so elated. "A rather shameful part of our history."

"Hey, lighten up a little bit Tom! I'm telling you, this is—" Alice began.

"Heads up! Monsters!" Suzanne yelled.

Ron and Suzanne already had their copper swords drawn and their leather shields on their arms. Thomas quickly drew out his club while Alice took out her quarterstaff.

The group found their path blocked by a group of giant frogs. The common term for them in Aliahan was "froggore." They usually favored the wild lands on the eastern side of Aliahan.

The group went straight into action. Ron and Suzanne immediately went up and engaged two of the frogs. Ron met his foe with a vicious horizontal slash meant for the abdomen, the froggore managed to dodge part of the blow. Nevertheless, the frog sustained a vicious wound. Suzanne came up to her foe only to barely block the froggore's tongue lashing attack with her shield. She countered the attack with an upwards slash to the creature's mouth. If the froggore had not been able to retract its tongue so quickly, it would have lost it. As it was, its mouth was almost cut in half.

As another froggore came in to try and surprise the two warriors, Thomas and Alice launched a sneak attack of their own. The froggore did not notice them until it felt the bludgeoning force of a club and quarterstaff upon its head. Having almost incapacitated her enemy, Suzanne turned to her side and delivered the finishing blow to the spellcasters' foe. While she did that, Ron pulled off an awesome maneuver of blocking his foe's attack on his shield while spinning around the finish off Suzanne's foe. He followed up by bashing his froggore's head with his shield and plunging his blade into its skin.

The group took a moment to catch their breath, clean their weapons, and search their enemies for anything they might be able to sell in town.

"Since when do froggores come anywhere near this side of the island!" Alice demanded.

"That is very strange behavior. Nevertheless, I hope froggores are the least of our worries," commented Thomas.

The group proceeded through the tunnel pretty routinely from there. They did encounter some more froggores and although the creatures were tougher than what the group was used to, they dispatched them with minimal injuries. The group also took a wrong turn but found a small chest with 16 gold pieces in it for their trouble. Besides that, they also found a set of traveler's robes.

After a few hours of going through the tunnel, the group came to a staircase. As they went up the staircase, they noticed a drastic change in the architecture of the walls.

"Hey, this looks a little different," Ron noted. "Are we almost in the tower?"

Alice took out the maps from the castle. "According to this, we're technically in the tower already. Underneath the tower is a basement, which we're in now. Looking at this, the basement served as a tunnel itself. One end went to the northern side of the island; the other end went right to the castle. However, Desmond cut off the ends of the tunnels. Besides transportation, there were also a couple storerooms down here."

"It's too bad that the tunnel underneath the castle got cut off. That would've saved us a bit of a trip." Suzanne mused.

Using Alice's map, the group easily found their way to another staircase. However, as they approached it, Alice warned them, "We're about to enter the main portion of the tower. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any maps of this part."

"So we're pretty much going in there blind?" Thomas asked.

"Oh well. We were pretty much blind in that tunnel as well," said Ron.

"That may be true, but tunnels are usually small and simple compared to towers of several stories," Thomas answered. "Besides that, there may or may not be a wizard in this tower whose goal it is to test us. If there is a wizard testing us, I'd rather not be lost while navigating through his traps."

"You bring up a good point. But if we're lucky, maybe the test is simply finding him." Suzanne suggested.

* * *

"Wow! I'd heard the stories but I guess I never really thought about what this place looked like. This place is gorgeous!" Alice exclaimed.

Although there was some damage to the tower for having not been used for decades, it was still in great shape. Most of the decorations and furniture that once had been in the Tower of Najima had been destroyed, but much of the architecture remained. The main hallway had several large dragon statues, each looking very lifelike.

"I agree with you, but let's keep our eyes open for things besides architecture," Suzanne warned.

The group scouted out the main hallway first. Aside from the statues, it seemed pretty basic. The hallway split into six rooms, three on each side. There was also an exit on the north and south sides of the building. The group began inspecting the rooms themselves, starting on the west side. There was nothing of note in any of them, except for a staircase in the north most room that led to what looked like a bedroom. The team then inspected the rooms on the east side. The north room had a staircase, which the group decided not to go up until they checked out all the rooms. They then entered the middle room. Nothing was in there but there was surprise waiting for them as they exited the room.

"Look out!"

Suzanne got hit hard by the lashing tongue of a froggore. There were three this time, and apparently they were smart. The group hadn't noticed them as they entered the room but it seemed as though they had waited for the group to exit before launching an ambush.

The group wasn't going to fall into disarray; they immediately went into action. Everyone drew their weapons and Ron and Suzanne went up to engage the giant frogs in melee. While they did that, both Thomas and Alice prepared spells. Thomas sent a small beacon of light at Suzanne, healing the wound she received from one of the froggores. Alice sent a fireball at one of the froggores. The spell didn't kill the froggore, but surprised it enough for Suzanne to finish it off.

The froggores weren't done yet though. They both double teamed Ron. Ron blocked the attack from his left with his shield and tried to duck under the one from the right, but the froggore partially anticipated the duck and still caught Ron on the shoulder. However, now the froggore was alone. Ron sent a vertical slash at the froggore designed to make the creature dodge to its right, straight into Suzanne's sword.

Thomas spoke up first, "Is everyone alright? Ron, how's your shoulder?"

Ron laughed, "Don't worry about me. A bruise here or there won't kill anyone."

Alice appeared to be very sick of froggores at this point. "Here too! What is with these things!"

"Smart ones too," Suzanne commented. "I think they planned that ambush."

After doing their routine check on their vanquished enemies, the group pressed onwards. They checked the last room and proceeded up the staircase.

* * *

The tower turned out to be confusing. The group's determination to search the whole tower led them to find several items scattered around, including some gold and a wing of wyvern, a magical item that could teleport the user's to a place they had been before. The group had bought one before leaving, just in case they needed it, but it was nice to find another one. The second floor consisted of several rooms and had two staircases. Luckily, one of them led to a storeroom. The third floor was the most confusing. The hallways zigzagged for no apparent reason and there were a few rooms, as well as two more staircases. One of the staircases was reached by going around a balcony of sorts outdoors and then back inside. The group proceeded up this one.

The group came to the roof of the tower. The top of the tower was pretty big but didn't have much on it, besides a large room in the center.

"Well this looks like the top. If I had to guess, our man is in that room," Ron pointed out.

"Be ready guys," Suzanne warned.

The group kept formation as Ron went up to the door. The door was quite large, too large to be forced by the looks of it. Ron grabbed the handle and tried to open it.

"Damn it! It's locked!" he shouted in frustration.

Suzanne tried to keep their spirits up. "Don't give up yet. We still haven't gone up that staircase on the last floor. Maybe that'll take us somewhere."

"Like another useless storeroom," Thomas muttered.

"Incoming!" Alice yelled.

The other three spun around to see what had grabbed Alice's attention. Four large moth-like creatures had descended upon the group. Each one had a face that made it look like the creature was wearing a mask.

Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas charged the creatures. Ron and Suzanne easily felled their foes with powerful jumping strikes, splitting the creatures in half. Thomas got a good blow on his foe that almost killed it.

"Guys, that one is casting a spell!" Alice warned.

The moth that hadn't been hit had flown away from the group and was indeed casting a spell. As it finished, a purple mist covered the area. The group was unprepared for the spell and tried holding their breath to avoid any sort of poison. What they didn't count on was that there were now no less than two dozen of the moths now.

"What is this! There's so many of them!" Ron yelled. The group looked around wildly at all the moths. A dozen of them went in for an attack and one of them bit Thomas in the side. He somehow managed to dodge the worst of it, but as he tried to counterattack, his club went right through the moth.

"Guys, calm down! It's an illusion spell! There's still only two of them!" Alice yelled.

"But how do we figure out where they are!" Ron yelled back.

"Fight magic with magic! Alice, we need fireballs now!" Suzanne suggested.

Both Suzanne and Alice prepared spells while Ron and Thomas tried to protect the group from the moths and illusions. One of the moths nicked Suzanne but she kept chanting her spell. The two finished their spells and sent a pair of fireballs out. Because magic does not depend entirely on sight, the two did not need to know which of the moths were real. The fireballs sought out and homed in on the real moths and burned them, killing them.

After the illusion wore off, Thomas healed himself and the group checked the moths. Suzanne refused healing since she suffered only a small nick, she was barely even bleeding.

"That was pretty intense," Ron said. "Monsters that use magic? Since when could they do that?"

"Actually," Alice answered. "Lots of monsters can use magic. Though, I never expected to actually fight any!"

"That was actually a good idea in using magic Susie. I forgot that spells seek out their targets despite illusions." Thomas congratulated Suzanne.

Ron congratulated her as well. "Yeah, I forgot you could even use magic Susie!"

"Well, I'm not as good as Alice, but I can cast a fireball spell. I think I've even got a healing spell figured out, but we should definitely keep Thomas as our primary healer." Suzanne said.

"Pride is not something I worry about. If you want to heal someone, you go right ahead." Thomas said.

* * *

The group made their way back towards the staircase they had skipped on the third floor. The staircase had been in a room near the center of the tower. They had not realized that at first due to the zigzagging hallways. And since the staircase went up, the group also realized that this staircase may take them straight into the room they couldn't reach. However, as the group entered the room with the staircase in it, they were greeted by what appeared to be six bubbling green puddles on the ground, each one with a face.

"What are these things?" Ron asked.

"They look like green slimes that have been melted," Suzanne said.

"Well, let's just hit the things then! Come on Susie and Tom!" Ron said as he began his charge.

Thomas however, remembered that he had read about these creatures before. As Ron shouted and ran at them, Thomas remembered something very dangerous about these creatures.

"Wait guys! Don't let those things touch you!" Thomas shouted.

Suzanne halted her charge, but Ron kept going, saying back, "What are you talking about? These things look like they're weak!"

Ron met two of the bubble things and struck one with a good blow. Somehow, the creature survived. Both the things lurched at Ron. He jumped out of the way of one, but another one sprayed part of itself on Ron's leg. The liquid burned him and he leapt backward again, now very angry.

One of the bubble things came up to Suzanne. She managed to get out of the way and return a strike of her own, but it too did not die. Thomas came in and finished the thing off. Meanwhile, a fireball from Alice hit another bubble, but it didn't die.

"Never mind what I said, these things are tough!" Ron shouted. He launched another attack down at the bubble thing he wounded, finishing it off. The other one lurched at him again, but Ron barely managed to dodge. Suzanne and Thomas came in to help him out and the two managed to kill the bubble thing.

However, the remaining two bubble things came at the three melee fighters. One hit Suzanne with an attack while Ron got caught by another attack. Ron and Thomas ganged up on one bubble thing and killed it while Suzanne and Alice, with another fireball, killed the other. After the battle, Thomas didn't even stop to catch his breath as he healed Ron and then started checking Ron's wounds. Suzanne healed herself as well.

"Tom, what are you doing? You already healed me, I'm fine." Ron said.

Thomas shook his head and kept checking Ron's leg. "Those things are called babbles. They're poisonous. I'm checking you for poison."

The rest of the group looked surprised. Thomas continued looking at Ron's leg, and then swore loudly.

"What? What is it?" Suzanne asked.

"He's poisoned." Thomas said. He then went to Suzanne and started checking her leg where the babble hit her.

Alice gasped. Ron didn't seem too fazed though.

"Oh well. They can cure poison back at the castle. I'll be fine in a little while."

Thomas finished checking Suzanne and replied, "Susie's fine. But we have to leave now and cure Ron."

"I'm fine Tom!" Ron protested. "We're almost to the top now anyway! It'd be a shame to leave now!"

Thomas was unconvinced. "That is unacceptable. Alice, you have the wings of wyvern right?"

"Fine, you all can leave. But you need me to at least be touching the person using the wing and I'm not agreeing to teleport out of here until we check that room," Ron protested.

Before Thomas could continue the argument, Suzanne cut in, "I don't like it either Tom, but he's not going to leave. It's just up the stairs anyway. Let's go."

The group proceeded up the stairs and, just as they though, ended up in the room they were denied access to earlier. In the room was an old man wearing some expensive looking red and orange robes. He greeted the group, "Greetings! I dreamt that you would come here today. And in my dream, I gave you this key. Come now and take it from me."

The wizard held out his hand and in it was the key. Ron walked up to him and took the key and examined it. Indeed, it looked just like a key, but there were buttons on the side that activated a number of gadgets on the key. It looked convincing enough.

Suzanne spoke up. "Thank you sir wizard. Is your name Nathan Drasoran by any chance?"

The wizard replied, "That I am, kind miss. You have nearly completed your test. Now, go to my brother's door and claim your prize."

The group all gave their thanks and went to the door, only to find it was also locked from the inside. The wizard chuckled to said to them, "Use your new key."

Ron tried the key and, after trying a few buttons, got the door to open. The group walked outside when Ron suddenly puked violently right outside the door.

"Damn it! Alice, we need that wing now!" Thomas shouted.

* * *

Author's Notes: Finally got some action scenes in. I have very little experience in writing action scenes, so any reviews and constructive suggestions you make would be appreciated. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving.


	4. Chapter 3: Mages on the Loose

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 3: Mages on the Loose

"Ready to go Tom?" Suzanne asked.

Thomas, who appeared to be lost in thought, stood up and nodded his head. He walked out the door of Lucia's Eatery and waited outside for his companions.

Alice walked up to Suzanne and greeted her, "Hey Susie."

"Hey Alice. Is something bothering Tom? He at least usually says something when someone greets him."

"He's been in a sour mood since we got back from the tower. I saw him in the library yesterday and he didn't even acknowledge me at all. I'd think that he'd be a little happier after 'passing the test' and all."

"He's probably still angry at Ron being poisoned," Suzanne said. "You know he takes wounds seriously. Plus, he really hates it when people disregard his advice."

After the team had made it back to the castle town, the team had wasted no time in taking Ron to a healer and getting him cured of his poison. The healer had recommended a day of rest for Ron. So the team had taken the day off to see their families and have some free time. They planned to meet each other at Lucia's Eatery the next morning to set off for Reeve again. Once there, they would try Baker's key on the door to the Drasoran house.

* * *

The trip to Reeve went routinely this time around. Ron was definitely in top fighting condition after having been healed. The group did not complain about the lack of froggores, masked moths, and babbles in their journey.

The group arrived at Reeve in the late afternoon again. They decided to wait until the morning to see the elder Drasoran. Suzanne and Alice went to the inn to book their rooms, Ron went out to get some exercise, while Thomas disappeared to some quiet spot as he often did to study.

As Ron had just about had enough for the day, Thomas came up to him. After a deep breath, he addressed Ron, "Hey Ron."

Ron, who hadn't noticed Thomas yet, turned around and replied, "Hey Tom. How's the reading?"

"It's fine," Thomas said. "I wanted to apologize for failing you the other day."

Ron looked surprised. "What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

As Thomas replied this time, his head faced the ground, "I'm talking about the other day, when you got poisoned. I'm the healer of this group, I should have been able to cast the spell that rids you of poison. Instead, we had to go all the way back to the castle and consult a healer there."

Ron shook his head and said, "Hey, it was my fault in the first place. You told Susie and I to back off and I didn't listen. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I not only endangered myself but I endangered you and Susie by forcing you guys to come to my aid. I should have listened to you."

However, Thomas was not completely convinced, "It is true, it would've been helpful if you had backed off. But those things probably would've closed in on us anyway. There were too many of them. Such situations will no doubt occur often in this journey of ours. And because of that, I should know the antidote spell."

"Isn't that a complicated spell?" Ron asked.

"Somewhat, but that's not the point. We won't get far in our journey if we have to rush back to the castle whenever there's a fear of poison. If the stories are true, there are some areas of the world full of poisonous creatures." Thomas answered.

"Don't worry about it man," Ron said. "I'm sure you'll have that spell down by that point. Until that time, I just have to be more careful. After all, we've got both Susie and Alice around to lob fireballs at enemies. It wouldn't kill me to stand back and watch them fry every so often."

Thomas chuckled at Ron's comment. Ron made a suggestion, "But what say you put the books down for a moment and spar with me? You're going to need to get a little tougher in addition to learning those spells."

Thomas chuckled again. "Oh why not? Allow me to fetch my club."

* * *

The group was excited for the next day. Now they would try the key on the Drasoran door and hopefully get Borthan to help them break the seal on the Cave of Enticement. Suzanne was the first to wake of the group. She got dressed and left the room without waking Alice and went down the stairs to take a walk. As she went through the main lobby of the inn, a notice on the bulletin board caught her eye.

"BEWARE: Do not wander off to the eastern wilds! Do not travel unless necessary and make sure always to travel in groups! A cult of mages is on the loose!" the notice read.

Suzanne walked up to the innkeeper and asked, "According to that notice, there are mages on the loose. Is that true?"

The innkeeper replied grimly, "I'm afraid so, miss. Apparently, they hail from the castle itself. The lot of them wanted to run experiments on human beings, but the king said no of course. So they left the castle and now they've established a hideout of some sort out in the eastern wilds and they attack anyone they see."

"I see. Thanks for the warning," Suzanne said.

The area called the "eastern wilds" was a region on the east side of Aliahan with many forests and hills. There was an increased concentration of monsters in the region and so there were no settlements or villages in the area. There were some guides and outposts but for the most part, monsters had control of the region. Unfortunately, the group would have to travel through this region to reach the Cave of Enticement.

After the rest of the group had awoken and prepared for the day they headed to the Drasoran house. Ron took out Baker's key and tried it on the lock. After pushing some buttons and working on it for a few seconds, the door gave way. The group rejoiced silently and then proceeded into the house.

The ground floor of the house looked normal enough. You would not have known that a couple of powerful wizards usually inhabited the house. There was a kitchen and living room all furnished with regular looking furniture. The group searched the ground floor, cautiously calling for Borthan as they went. Then the group found some stairs to the second floor and proceeded up them.

The second floor appeared to have the bedrooms for the two and a guest room. The group knocked and checked each room for Borthan.

When they knocked on the last door Thomas noted, "It's funny how polite we're being after we broke into this guy's house."

The group then entered the door and there he was, Borthan Drasoran the wizard. He turned around and said, "I've already heard from my brother. You have passed our little test. We need not spend much time on pleasantries, so let us get to business. You have a total of three spellcasters in your group, but only the two in the back," he indicated Thomas and Alice, "will be needed. You two will stay here for a couple hours learning the spell to break the seal."

So Thomas and Alice stayed with the wizard for a few hours while Ron and Suzanne left. Since they needed to restock on medicinal herbs and food for the journey anyway, the two decided to do just that. The two proceeded to the medicine store first.

Ron noticed that there were antidote herbs for sale. He laughed and pointed them out to Suzanne, "We better buy some of these, eh Susie?" Suzanne laughed and they purchased a handful of the herbs. They were expensive to buy in such an amount, but the group had made a good sum of money from the monster parts they collected from their trip up the tower. They met up with Thomas and Alice at midday.

"So, what do you have to do?" Suzanne asked.

Alice took a somewhat large, glowing ball from her backpack. "This is the key to breaking the seal. We say some incantations and throw this thing at one of the walls. This will break the seal."

Ron's eyebrow raised, "You throw that at a wall? Doesn't sound very magicky to me."

Thomas spoke up at this point, "It's not as simple as throwing it at a wall. When we enter the cave, we'll soon come to a dead end. In reality, one of the walls in this dead end is the seal. The first part of the incantation identifies which wall is the seal. The next part puts a spell on the ball made to counteract the seal. Then we throw the ball at the wall, the sealed wall will be destroyed, and we will be able to proceed. 'Magicky' enough for you?"

Ron laughed and said, "Now that's what I'm talking about! I was starting to worry that magic really isn't as complicated as it's made out to be!"

Suzanne spoke up, "We got the supplies while you were gone. I think we should be ready to head out now then. You guys ready?"

The rest of the group agreed. They headed out of Reeve and went east.

* * *

Having heard the rumors of the cult, the group was extra cautious while traveling. After a day of traveling the group reached the foot of the hills on the edge of the western wilds. The group set up camp and arranged the watch for the night. For this night's rotation, Ron was first, followed by Alice, then Suzanne, with Thomas last. Ron's shift went without a hitch.

When Alice took watch, the rest of the group sometimes complained that she was too jumpy. Of course, noises in the night were unsettling, but the animals were going to move around in the night. Once again, Alice was plagued by the noises of the night, this one especially noisy. Alice mused that it was because they were at the entrance to the wild territory. Many animals were afraid of even the slightest hint of humans. But these animals were a bit more courageous; they knew this was their territory.

With the amount of noise Alice heard, she doubted she'd be able to get to sleep once her shift ended. She utterly hated this part of journeying. Leaves and grass rustled and made her jump. After this night, she was going to ask for a smaller night shift. "I'm a spell caster, a mage!" she thought to herself. "I need my sleep so I can study my spells and save us from humongous hoards of monsters!"

She heard something on the wind. It sounded like words! Were those crazy cultists out there now? She listened carefully before waking the others. She did not want to sound another false alarm. The last time she had the group as a whole had found it difficult to get back to sleep. Although none of her comrades yelled at or chastised her, she knew they did not want to be woken for nothing.

More words carried on the wind. That sounded like a spell for sure! But wait, maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. She listened some more, all the while bracing herself for a fireball or burst of poisonous gas or whatever those mages could throw at her.

"Alice!"

Alice jumped, those cultists knew her name! They would have to be either very powerful or very dedicated to have learned her name, the name of a person who for all they knew was just some random traveler in the eastern wilds. Either way, they had to be very dangerous indeed. She needed to alert her comrades. She spun around only to find one of the mages directly in front of her. She fell backwards in surprise and started preparing a spell.

"Whoa! Alice, it's me!"

Alice stopped her spell and looked at her attacker. Actually, her attacker was none other than Suzanne. Apparently, Alice's shift was already over and Suzanne had woken up to relieve her of the watch already.

"You really look freaked out! It's too bad I didn't wake up sooner," Suzanne said.

Alice was still trying to catch her breath. "I thought I was supposed to wake you?" she said.

"I had some trouble sleeping tonight. Too excited about the seal I guess," Suzanne said. She saw Alice's face turn to concern and she continued, "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll sleep fine after my shift. For now, you make sure to get some sleep. You look like you've been through a terrible ordeal."

Alice nodded and thanked Suzanne, "Thanks Susie. Don't be afraid of waking Tom early. He'll be grumpy in the morning anyway." Suzanne chuckled as Alice walked away.

* * *

The group made it through the night without being ambushed by the cultists. They proceeded up the hills of the eastern wilds. On both sides of these hills were large mountains that the group did not dare try to climb. Luckily, they would not have to, though they would have to circle around the mountains to reach the Cave of Enticement.

The group would have to go through a narrow pass between the two mountain ranges named Gerald Pass, named after the wizard who sealed the Cave of Enticement.

"Be ready guys," Suzanne warned as the neared the pass. "This would be a prime place for them to attack from. If they take up positions on any of the cliffs, we'll only be able to reach them with our own magic."

Alice seemed confident in the prospect of a magic battle, despite her fears last night, "Don't worry guys! I got a new spell down that can take a whole group of those maniacs down!"

"That's great, but do you think you could reach that Cliffside there if they were to attack?" Thomas asked, pointing to a nearby cliff.

Alice looked at the cliff and replied, "Well, that may be a bit of a reach. But hey, if they're too far away I can still blast them with a good fireball. Plus, they won't be able to hit us with the same spell if they know it."

Suzanne just thought of something, "Hmm, I didn't think about area effect spells. That could be a problem. If they do attack as from close to mid range, we should spread out."

Ron spoke up, "That's what I hate about fighting mages. You guys can stand back from a distance and fire away before I'm ever able to even reach you with my blade."

The group proceeded through the pass wary of any mages. Things were quiet in the area, no animals or monsters.

"Over there!" Ron shouted and pointed to the group's left.

Upon a cliff to the left was a group of three figures. They were not terribly far away; there was a large rock near them that they must have hid behind.

"Don't attack yet!" Suzanne warned. "They may not be cultists!"

Alice had already been casting a spell but held it at the last moment. She had her new spell ready and only needed to say the final word before she could unleash it on their potential foes.

The three figures identified themselves as enemies quickly. Three fireballs headed their way quickly. The fireballs homed in on and hit Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas. Alice took that as the signal to finish her spell. The ground underneath the three figures started aflame for a second, burning the three figures.

"Move in!" Ron shouted.

The group rushed up the cliff to try and rush the three mages. They made sure to use the rocks as cover as they ran up. Although fireballs had great homing capabilities, the spell did not take object between caster and target into effect, so the fireballs would hit the rocks. The group split between two rocks and viewed their enemies. A fireball flew by, almost hitting Ron in the head. The group cautiously made their way to the next set of rocks, getting there just in time to avoid another volley.

Now the group was close to the mages. The next rock to use as cover was the rock their foes were using for cover.

"Time to end this!" Ron shouted. He charged at the three mages.

"Wait, Ron! Allow us to cover you!" Suzanne shouted. Unfortunately, Ron was already halfway there when the words left her mouth. The rest of the group quickly joined Ron's charge, Alice with another spell ready.

Ron saw his first target's expression turn to horror as he saw the blade approaching him. Ron cut him down just after the mage finished his spell, a fireball hit Ron square in the chest. Two more fireballs quickly followed, sending Ron flying backwards from the might. However, before the mages could press the attack on Ron, the rest of the group came in. Suzanne and Thomas made quick work of the already wounded mages with a couple of strikes of their own.

Thomas quickly rushed over to Ron to heal his injuries. Amazingly, Ron was not as wounded as it seemed, but he definitely could not take many more blows. Thomas said the heal spell as Suzanne walked over.

"Nice idea Ron. But next time, at least let us provide cover fire first. Then you might not need to take three fireballs head on," Suzanne suggested.

Ron nodded his head and replied, "I hear you. See, this is why I hate fighting spell casters!"

* * *

The group proceeded through the hills of the eastern wilds. They saw no more sign of cultists from this point onwards. They did encounter more than the usual supply of monsters, but they expected that. After an exhausting day of travel and fighting, the group set up camp in the hills. Alice once again had a frightening shift at watch as she expected an army of monsters and cultists every minute. Luckily, no such army appeared.

The group proceeded down the hills to the very eastern part of Aliahan, where they came across a beach. According to their map, the Cave of Enticement was directly north of the beach, in a valley inside the eastern mountain range and behind a small lake. The group had to go through another narrow pass in the mountains. Once again, the group prepared for a cultist ambush, but no such ambush came this time.

The group entered the valley and quickly found the small lake. They circled around the lake and found a hole in the ground, big enough to fit a person through.

"Is this the entrance?" Ron asked.

"There's no mention on the map or anything I've read of what the entrance to the cave actually looks like. All I've read is that it's supposed to be behind the lake. This looks like our best bet," Alice replied.

Fortunately, the group had brought some rope and a spike to drive into the ground. After they were sure the spike was secure, they tied the rope to it and lowered themselves into the cave.

As Thomas had mentioned a couple days ago, it did not take long for the group to reach a dead end.

"Well, time for us to go to work Tom!" Alice said.

"Do you guys have any idea how long this will take?" Ron asked.

"Borthan said it wouldn't take more than an hour," Alice replied.

Alice and Thomas went to work on enchanting the magic ball Borthan had given them while Suzanne and Ron made sure to guard the cave entrance so the spell casters could work. Luckily, not a single thing tried to enter the cave. The enchantment was finished without incident. Then Alice threw the ball at the southern wall.

"Take cover!"

The group quickly retreated out the entrance to the room as the reaction started. Magical energy flew everywhere. Eventually, the reaction stopped and the group examined the results of the incantation. There was now a hole in the southern wall and a visible room on the other side.

"Yes! It worked! Oh, and I almost forgot! Borthan said that this dispelled the seal on teleportation spells into and out of Aliahan as well. So even when we leave, we can easily return with a wing of wyvern!" Alice exclaimed.

"Wait, there was a seal on teleportation?" Ron asked.

"The seal wouldn't have done much good if people could still teleport here," Thomas explained. "So there was a seal put up that prevented people from teleporting into or out of Aliahan as well. I didn't know that the two seals were linked in such a way though."

The group went through the gap and down some stairs. On the next floor, they found the cave was not in the best of shape. There were large gaps in the floor that appeared to drop any unwary or clumsy travelers to the floor below. The group went down the first flight of stairs they came to. The stairs led them to a large room. By the looks of it, if they had fallen in any of the gaps, they could use those stairs to get back up.

"Monsters!" Alice shouted.

Four giant rabbits came at them. However, these did not look like the rabbits they were used to. These rabbits had purple fur. Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas ran at the rabbits with weapons drawn. Ron parried the rabbit's horn with his sword and then counterattacked at the rabbit's head. The rabbit pulled its head back, but not quick enough. Its horn was severed from its head.

As Suzanne charged the rabbit to the right of Ron's rabbit, it lowered its horn to catch her charge. Suzanne was ready for that though; she jumped over the horn and came down on the rabbit with a devastating downward stab. The rabbit lived no longer.

Thomas came up to his rabbit but was caught off guard by its sudden lunge and got caught in the side. He followed up with a crushing blow to its skull with his club, but the rabbit still lived.

The rabbit that Ron wounded jumped backwards away from his next attack. It then began to wiggle its nose and head in a strange way while growling. Ron pursued it and delivered the finishing blow. But right before he did so, purple bubbles appeared above the heads of the humans. Ron finished the rabbit and then fell over, asleep.

Thomas finished his rabbit off with another blow and examined his wound. It did not seem to be too bad a wound, he could leave it for now. He then looked to his comrades only to find they were all sleeping. He looked around to see if there were any more monsters present and we relieved to find there were none. He patiently waited for his comrades to wake.

Alice was first to wake. "What happened?" she asked.

"Apparently, those creatures can cast magic," Thomas answered. "We need to be especially careful around those things from now on."

After the rest of the group woke up, the team pressed onwards. The room they were in appeared to be a dead end, so they went back up the stairs.

"It's them!"

The group went up the stairs only to find four of the black-robed cultists standing by the staircase back up towards the surface.

"Quick, alert the others!" one of them yelled. Obeying the command, one of the others broke off and ran away.

Suzanne yelled at the cultists, "Wait! We don't need to fight! Stay your magic!"

The three remaining cultists laughed at her and prepared their spells. Alice finished hers first, however, and the three cultists were severely burned by her ground flame spell. Thomas went up and finished one cultist before he could finish his spell. Ron finished another one with a stab through the heart. Suzanne ran up to the final cultist and felled him just before he finished his spell.

"Damn! That one went to alert his friends!" Ron said in frustration.

"We've got to be careful guys. They'll most likely have an ambush ready for us," Suzanne said. "I'll take the back for now so I can watch out behind us. Everyone, make sure to be quiet. Ron, carefully check around every corner we have to turn around."

"Good idea Susie," Alice said.

The group proceeded carefully and quietly through the cave from here on out. They came across one hallway that was cut off by a gap too large to jump across. The group proceeded the other way. They happened across a chest containing an antidote herb and then went through a very long hallway.

"I don't like this," Thomas whispered. "This would be a perfect place for them to ambush us."

When they got to the midpoint of the hallway, they came across a large caterpillar. The caterpillar sensed their presence and attacked. Suzanne was first to reach it but was forced to quickly roll away as the creature tried a body slam on her with its massive body. This opened it up the Thomas' club and Ron's sword. However, they found that the creature's skin was surprisingly tough.

"What kind of caterpillar is this?" Ron whispered.

The caterpillar turned on Ron now and tried a body slam on him. Ron got away from its body, but the creature slashed him in the face with its surprisingly sharp legs. The creature then earned a fireball to the face and another series of club and sword blows. It finally succumbed to death.

"Geez, that thing was tough," Ron whispered.

"That fight probably alerted our friends too," Thomas replied grimly.

However, the group made it to the end of the hallway without a sign of the cultists. The group proceeded onwards. They had another encounter with the giant purple rabbits, but managed to kill them before they could get off the sleep spell. The group found its way to another staircase.

"Where are those cultists?" Ron asked.

The next floor was a large hallway that split into three paths. The group tried the middle path first, and came up to a large door.

"Wait!" Suzanne said. "See if you can hear anything on the other side of the door."

The group listened on the other side of the door for a short while, and then decided it was safe to open.

"It's locked," Ron said.

"Try Baker's key," Alice suggested.

Ron used Baker's key on the door and disabled the lock. The group proceeded in only to find a dead end. The group turned around and tried the path that had been to the right. They came to another door and stopped and listened again.

"I can hear something," Ron whispered.

"It sounds like…chanting," Thomas observed.

"We need to think worst case scenario here guys," Suzanne said. "There could be a large number of cultists past this door. Alice, have your ground fire spell ready. I'll have my own fireball ready. Ron, they'll probably be able to hear you going at the door. Open one side of it first and back away. Alice and I will fire spells at them from behind the other side, but if they set that on fire, you, Tom, and I will charge in with everything we have. However, Tom, watch everyone carefully. We may need you to start whipping out healing spells."

"Sounds like a great strategy Suzanne," Ron said. "Everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded. Ron worked at the door. When the lock was disabled, he kicked open the right side and then backed away. A large volley of fireballs hit the door, almost destroying it completely and setting it on fire.

Realizing their cover was effectively gone, Ron yelled, "Charge!"

The group charged into the room. There were seven cultists in the room. Four of them fell victim to Alice's ground fire spell, but it did not have the range to reach the other three. Suzanne finished one of the four of with her spell and then drew out her sword and charged another. Ron and Thomas both finished off a cultist each before they could finish casting. However, the three on the other end of the room and the one Suzanne was charging at all got their fireballs off.

Suzanne got hit by three and fell to the ground due to the force of them. Thomas immediately sent a healing spell as she got back to her feet. Ron got hit by one but was still able to finish off the cultist Suzanne was going for. Alice sent another ground fire spell at the remaining three cultists.

However, three more fireballs came at the party. Thomas got hit by two and Alice got hit by one. Thomas healed himself while Suzanne and Ron rushed two of the cultists. The two fell easily to their blades. Alice finished the last one off with a fireball.

As Thomas healed Alice, Ron looked around the room and said, "I hope that's all of them."

"We haven't checked that last room yet. We better check that," Suzanne said.

"It was pretty clever of them to follow us in here. I'm guessing they were using us to leave Aliahan," Thomas said.

"But how did they know we were going to break the seal?" Suzanne asked.

"Maybe they heard about it from the castle?" Alice theorized. "That's where that innkeeper said they were from right? Or maybe, they were just hanging around the cave and sensed the magic ball we had with us. I could sense it had magic in it the moment Borthan gave it to us. They may have just wanted to steal it, but then when we broke the seal, they took it as an added bonus. I just hope that's it. I don't think I have enough magic left in me to even make a spark, much less a fireball."

"Hey, is that the Traveler's Gate?" Ron asked.

The group turned around towards the center of the room. Indeed, there was a mystical blue vortex in the middle of the room.

"Looks like it," Alice said.

"We still should check that last room," Suzanne said.

The group went down the only path they hadn't taken yet. Ron unlocked another door and they proceeded in to find another dead end. There were no cultists inside, but there were monsters. The monsters did not notice the group though.

"Let's just leave," Suzanne said. "We don't need to fight anymore right now."

The rest of the group agreed and they went back to the Traveler's Gate.

"I'll go first," Ron said.

"Be careful!" warned Alice. "It's said that when you go through a Traveler's Gate, you get really dizzy! And I mean _really_ dizzy."

"I'll be fine," Ron said.

Ron stepped into the blue vortex. He immediately started spinning fast and sunk into the vortex. Ron's vision did not register him sinking though. To him he was just spinning faster and faster, the room getting more and more blurry. Ron thought he was going to puke. He desperately wished for the spinning to stop. As if to answer his wishes, it did. However, when his vision cleared, he found he was in another room.

Ron fell off this room's blue vortex and waited for his comrades. One by one, they followed. First Suzanne, then Thomas, and Alice came last. All of them took a few moments to clear their dizziness.

"Let's never do that, ever, ever again," Alice groaned.

After the group recovered, Suzanne spoke up, "Okay guys, we're in a new land. When we get to the next town, we'll all be on our best behavior. As citizens of a land looked down on and even hated by other nations, we don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves. Nevertheless, our task is to gather information on the Archfiend, and even try to persuade people to work together. Now, let's go."

* * *

Author's Notes: Phew. Long chapter. Hopefully I'm doing a good job on the action scenes. I also hope my little sub-plots are alright. In the game, you encounter "Magicians" in the Cave of Enticement and the eastern side of Aliahan. I thought it might be neat if I made these encounters less random and put a reason behind them.


	5. Chapter 4: The Emperor's Request

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 4: The Emperor's Request

The messenger approached the throne in a rush. He came across his emperor sleeping on the throne. The messenger looked around nervously for someone of higher position. It was not the duty of a lowly messenger such as himself to wake the emperor. However, nobody except the some men of the Imperial Guard was present. The messenger asked the captain, the emperor's bodyguard, to wake him up.

"Sire. Sire. Sire! Please awaken, your Highness!" the man said.

The emperor awakened groggily. After a few seconds of clearing his eyes and getting his bearings straight, he spoke, "My apologies, did I miss another meeting?"

"No sire. This man has a message for you," the captain replied.

The emperor turned towards the messenger, "A message? Well then, let us hear it."

The messenger spoke nervously, "Y-yes sire. Most interesting news. It seems there are some visitors in the capital!"

"Visitors? Forgive me, but that does not seem worthy of waking me up," the emperor cut in.

"But sire, these visitors come from Aliahan!" the messenger exclaimed.

This got the emperor's attention. "Aliahan you say? Why, this is the second time in eight years! Rather odd for a land isolated from the world. Do you know why they are here?"

The messenger answered, "The rumors say they have been asking many questions about our land, the neighboring lands, and…" the messenger paused and then mumbled, "The Archfiend."

"Hmm, this is most interesting," the emperor mused. "These visitors seem eerily similar to the visitor we had eight years ago. Is he in the group by any chance?"

"I cannot say sire. Many do not remember what the other stranger looked like. However, those that do say he is not with them," the messenger answered.

"Okay then. Very good on delivering the message. If you are not too busy, I would give you another task," the emperor spoke.

The messenger got excited, "Anything for Your Highness!"

The emperor began speaking again, "Bring the visitors to me. I would like to speak to them."

* * *

"But why would the emperor want to meet with us?" Suzanne asked.

"I don't know! This guy just came up to me and told me we were all summoned to the castle to speak with him. He said to gather you all up and then we have to go as soon as possible," Alice explained.

"He must know we're from Aliahan. That's the only reason the emperor would personally meet with random visitors to his land," Thomas theorized. "But how did he find out where we are from?"

Thomas's question was a valid one. Although the group had sought information on the Archfiend, they also tried not to reveal where they were from. It turned out to be a difficult task, but not for the reasons the group had thought. They had thought that the Archfiend would be such a talked about topic that anyone who asked questions clearly had to be from an isolated region. As it turned out, little was known about the Archfiend. Nobody wanted to talk about it either. The only thing the group found out was that the Archfiend resided to the south.

"Um…that may have been my fault," Ron said reluctantly. "I went to the bar last night and may have said something I shouldn't of."

"What!" Alice yelled. "How could you have done that! We specifically agreed not to reveal where we were from!"

"Hey, I had a very good reason!" Ron defended himself.

"How good looking was she?" Thomas asked.

Ron was surprised by Thomas's question, "What?"

"Don't play dumb," Thomas responded. "How good looking was she?"

"How did you know it was over a girl!" Ron asked, very surprised Thomas guessed it.

"So it's true!" Alice yelled. "You betrayed us over some girl!"

"Okay, that's enough," Suzanne cut in. "I think we can gather that though the emperor knows we are from Aliahan, he's not going to imprison us or he would have sent soldiers to arrest us. If I had to guess, he's curious as to how and why we are here."

"That's not the point!" Alice persisted. "How could he go against what we agreed on over some girl!"

"Hey, you heard Susie. No harm done! It all worked out all right! In fact, if I understand everything right, this might actually help! You should thank me!" Ron shouted back.

However, Alice was not thankful, "You're so full of it!"

As the two continued their shouting match, Suzanne whispered to Thomas, "How did you know it was because of a girl?"

Thomas chuckled and answered, "Whenever he has a 'good reason' for doing something stupid that 'good reason' is always scoring with a girl."

* * *

"At ease, all of you," the emperor said to the four.

The four had kneeled upon coming up to the emperor and now stood back up.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the emperor went on. "I am Emperor Vilisik of the Romalian Empire. How has your visit been so far?"

The group looked at each other, unsure of how to respond to such a casual question given by a ruler. Finally, Suzanne spoke up, "It has been wonderful so far, your Majesty."

The emperor chuckled. "Good, good. You may have wondered why I called you here. It has come to my attention that you are from Aliahan."

"Yes your Majesty," Suzanne replied.

"If I may ask, is the seal on your land lifted? This is the second visit we have received in the decade," the emperor asked.

"It has been lifted, but only a week ago," Suzanne explained. "Aliahan still has no plans of coming out of isolation, but we are here on a mission."

"Allow me to guess," the emperor said. "You have come to gather information on the Archfiend and serve as a sort of diplomat between nations."

Suzanne nodded. The emperor went on, "Has Aliahan decided to become a peacemaker between nations? That is the exact mission of our last visitor of Aliahan."

"That man was my father," Suzanne explained. "Although the king has allowed both myself and my father before me to leave the land on this mission, this is still a personal mission not given by the king."

"Interesting," the emperor said. "Then I shall tell you what I know, which admittedly is not much. The Archfiend resides on the southern side of Tarasia, a continent to the south. It lives south of the kingdom of Isis, an ally of ours. Before it moved in, the region was home to many city-states and nomads that did not belong to any larger nation. Rumors say that all humans have been eradicated from those lands."

The group gasped at the emperor's last statement. Thomas was first to speak, "All humans? Eradicated? How could this have happened?"

The emperor continued his story grimly, "It seems impossible that the Archfiend could have become so powerful so quickly, but all the signs point to this being fact. Mind you, we have sent no official scouting parties to verify this fact as it seems that such a mission would be suicide. However, many neighboring lands have received a large number of refugees. According to recent reports, some have even come to the empire."

At this point, the emperor became more cheerful, "Which is why a person of my position is so willing to work with you, who will be treated as mere outcasts in any other land. If a lesson can be learned from the fall of southern Tarasia, it is that the Archfiend will have no trouble conquering independent human lands. Although they were quite small compared to the empire, even we will not be able to stand alone against the Archfiend soon enough."

"Excuse me your Majesty, but may I ask a question?" Suzanne interjected. The emperor nodded. "You have yourself stated that we will be no more than outcasts in other lands. Some might even accuse us of trying the manipulate the nations into another Aliahan Empire. So, even with what you know of southern Tarasia, why are you so willing to work with us?"

The emperor chuckled. "You will note that I am quite young compared to most rulers." His statement was true. The emperor looked to be in his mid-30's, with a head of blonde hair that did not show a trace of grey. He had a boyish face and his tone and manner of speaking were relatively informal compared to the king of Aliahan.

The emperor continued, "Excluding the queen of Isis, I am the youngest ruler that I am aware of. I know of at least one that actually fought in the Second Great War, fought against the Aliahan Empire. However, I do not have any memories of those dark days. That is not to say that I have not heard the curses uttered against your country, specifically those by the older generation. It does mean that I see no reason to hold a decades-long old grudge."

The emperor chuckled again and went on, "However, I am not about to offer my cooperation without a price. Do you see the crown I have upon my head? What do you think of it?"

"It looks quite marvelous, your Majesty." Suzanne replied.

The emperor shook his head. "Marvelous for a duke or some sort of lesser noble, but not for an emperor. No, my true crown is ten times as glorious as this silly hat! But unfortunately, it has been stolen from me. Not just my crown, but my pride and honor have been stolen. Over a month ago, I was ambushed by thieves to the north of here."

"Now the leader of their foolish band, a man named Kandar, wears the crown atop his head, and claims the western parts of the empire to be his! Worse yet, some foolish towns have agreed to follow him! This is where you come in. I cannot bear to send my troops against my own people. They are tricked by this knave's words and his possession of my crown. Being so far away from the castle, they have hardly ever seen my face, so it is no wonder their allegiance is so easily taken."

"So, I want you to get my crown back," the emperor stated. "However, I forbid you from striking any of my people down unless they should first attack you. As for Kandar and his band, you may deal with them as you see fit. But do not hurt the innocents. Do this for me, and I will grant you a great reward that will highly benefit your cause. Are we all agreed?"

"This seems like a great mission, your Majesty. We will do this for you," Suzanne agreed.

"Well then, you are dismissed. I wish you luck in your journeys."

* * *

Before heading to bed that night, the group decided to take a look at a map of the Romaly Empire. They had been given the map from a scholar in the castle library, who had also marked the territory where Kandar was setting up his reign.

"It looks like they have quite the mountain range here," said Ron, pointing north of the castle.

"According to the scholars, they have numerous paths through the mountains that should not be too hard to traverse," said Suzanne.

Thomas spoke up next, "I hope we don't have to fight our way through another mountain ambush."

"Your concerns are valid, apparently monster activity has been increasing in the mountains. They've had to drastically increase the number of escorts to traveling caravans going through the mountains," Suzanne replied.

Ron decided to change the subject, "Hey, have you guys been by the equipment shops here? The stuff they sell here is a lot better than we ever had in Aliahan!"

"That's not surprising," said Thomas. "Part of our exile included having to give up all our arms from the war. Combine that with the lack of trade and goods from Aliahan are probably inferior in general."

"Well, we should make sure to equip ourselves before we go," suggested Ron. "We're going to need all the help we can get on this mission by the sounds of it."

"That sounds like a good idea, but how expensive is the equipment? We need supplies as well," said Suzanne.

"We have gotten a large amount of money from selling all the monster parts we've gotten," spoke Alice. "We should be able to afford a good amount of gear. That is, if genius here didn't spend it all on booze and women."

"Hey, that ended up helping us! Besides, I only spent my own money!" Ron protested.

"Cut it out you two!" Suzanne interceded. "Ron's right, we should be better equipped. We'll all go to the equipment shop and see what they have for us."

* * *

When the group went to the local equipment shops, they found they had enough money to buy chain mail and bronze shields for Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas. After that, they had little money left for weapons, but they bought a chain sickle for Thomas. They also bought supplies needed for the road. Ready for the road, the team headed to the north.

After two days of traveling, the team made it to the base of the Rashal Mountain Range. The mountains covered a significant portion of the center of the continent. Towns and villages were sparse in the mountains, but the team planned to take a two-day journey up the mountain to a plateau on the northern side of the mountains. On the plateau was a village called Kanave where they could rest up and restock. The first day was tiring, but fairly routine. The four decided to head to bed a little earlier on account of fatigue. The next morning they set out again.

"After this, I never want to see another hill for as long as I live," said Ron.

"Yeah, this is a lot steeper than the hills in the eastern wilds," replied Suzanne.

Alice did not seem deterred, "Well according to the map, Kanave is about as high as we have to go. Once we get there, it's all downhill."

"Until we have to make a return trip to Kanave," said Thomas.

Alice shook her head and said, "Actually, some of the people in the castle told me there's a waypoint in Kanave. Once we get there, we get just teleport back there whenever we want!"

"Incoming!" yelled Ron.

Ron pointed further up the hill. Coming up fast were three huge green bees.

"My gosh they're moving fast!" exclaimed Ron.

"Stay together guys!" Suzanne said. "Watch each other's backs!"

Within seconds, the bees had come upon the party. Two of the bees immediately made a pass at the party. Suzanne and Ron positioned themselves in front and struck back at the bees. Ron landed an excellent attack that killed his, though the bee managed to sting him on the arm. Suzanne blocked her bee with her shield and managed to land a strike, but the bee lived and flew away. Suddenly, Ron dropped his sword and shield.

"What the! I can't feel my arms!" Ron shouted.

"Damnit! Form a triangle around Ron, keep those things away from him!" Suzanne ordered.

The bees were circling the party now, looking for an opening. Unfortunately for them, Alice had been chanting a spell and now completed it. A line of fire streaked through the air, burning both bees. The wounded bee dropped dead while the other managed to survive. The bee tried to make an attack on Alice but Thomas stepped in front of it and killed it. After that, Thomas tended to Ron.

"What is this!" yelled Ron, afraid at his own condition.

Thomas examined Ron's arms. "I read about this back at the castle. Those bees have some sort of nerve agent in their stingers meant to disable their foes. According to the books, it lasts for a couple of hours but doesn't do any permanent damage."

"That's a relief," said Suzanne, "but we better be careful for those hours. We'll be in rough shape if we get into a fight and our best warrior is out of commission."

* * *

Luckily, the four managed to avoid confrontation until Ron had the use of his arms back. From there, the team made it to Kanave without much further incident. It was late at night when they arrived, and they were all exhausted, and so they immediately went to the inn.

The next morning, after buying some more supplies, the four went around gathering as much information as they could on Kandar. In the evening, they met back at the inn to discuss what they found out.

"We've got some good news. Everybody here knows who the emperor is here and everyone is loyal to him," said Suzanne.

"It seems Kandar has set up a blockade on the land to the west," Ron began to explain, "The land is separated from the mainland by mountains and a river. Unlike the mountains we passed to get here, these are impassable. The river has only a single bridge going over it. There aren't many towns or villages over there, so apparently they didn't think they needed another. Bottom line is that there's only one good way in or out."

"Some people have been trying to escape too," Alice said. "Not everyone who's following Kandar is doing so of their free will. I talked to some people here who escaped from the region. They said many have been killed trying to escape, whether it be in trying to brave the river or being found by Kandar's men. They say he extorts money and forces the people to make him weapons. There's even been rumors of fortifying the tower to the west. It seems that's been his hideout since before ambushing the emperor."

"How does he maintain power over the people if he's so terrible?" Suzanne asked.

Thomas started talking now, "He claims to be a Duke. The western lands are somewhat isolated, so they haven't seen their Duke often. His possession of the emperor's crown makes a very convincing case. Since he has such a blockade over the region, he probably hasn't allowed any government officials in to discredit him. The people would have no reason to believe he's not actually a Duke."

"I also heard that some of the emperor's own knights in the region have sided with him," Ron cut in. "This would go further to validate Kandar as a Duke."

Suzanne was surprised, "Some of the emperor's knights have joined him?"

"No doubt they are getting some fine privileges as Kandar's henchmen," Thomas said grimly. "More power than they had as enforcers of the law. Kandar probably allows them to do whatever they wish."

"So if we can break the blockade on the bridge," began Suzanne, "and remove the crown from Kandar we should be able to break his reign over the region."

* * *

Author's Note: It's been a while. Writer's block can be vicious at times. Hopefully I'll be able to continue this more consistantly over the summer. I'm wondering if I should have made this chapter longer, but I kind of wanted to put something up.


	6. Chapter 5: Kandar

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 5: Kandar

"Ron's late," Thomas observed.

"You think we don't know that Tom!" Alice shouted back at him.

Suzanne sent a glare at the two of them to quiet them. Thomas went back to reading a book while Alice failed to calm down. She began to pace back and forth around the small room they were in.

Tempers had been high since the group had infiltrated the land Kandar held. Alice seemed to snap at anyone who did not bring good news. This constantly put her at odds with Thomas, who could not help but bring up every negative event that came to pass. Suzanne had almost given up trying to keep the other two from each other's throats, it was enough work just to keep them from alerting every person in camp as to what they were doing. Suzanne found that her mood had been sour for the past week as well.

Getting into Kandar's land was not too difficult. The group had decided to ambush some of Kandar's soldiers who strayed from the area. Thomas put the men to sleep and the others would disable them. When the men came to, the group interrogated them. The men were little more than a collection of rogues, it was easy to get information from them. The group then sent the men to the castle in order to be tried in court.

Luckily, the men had come from the bridge itself. Now the four had all the information they needed to get past the guards at the bridge. The plan had Ron posing as one who wished to join Kandar while the others snuck through. It was customary to test a new recruit through fighting and every man at the bridge was eager for a good fight. While Ron proved his worth, almost every guard at the bridge went to watch.

Ron was immediately posted to guard duty on the bridge. Having proven himself to be an exceptional fighter, they put him where there was most likely to be a good fight. Meanwhile, the rest of the group took up residence in a nearby work camp. They could not just stay there idle however. Thomas was pressed into doing work for Kandar's men while Suzanne and Alice laid low throughout the day. Many people found the two, but most were villagers who had no urge to betray them. The two easily defended themselves against any of Kandar's men that found them.

The group decided to keep Ron working for Kandar. His position was a vital source of information the group needed to put together an assault on Kandar. For the most part, Ron's job was pretty routine. The men would do some building during the day, or test any new recruits that would happen to arrive. After the shift, the men would often go drinking. This was where Ron found most of his information. Then Ron would go to the others and give a report on his day. The only difficult part of his job was trying not to hurt any innocents without giving himself away. Several times a week, Ron would tell the group of a close call in which he helped a poor civilian escape without alerting fellow guards.

The night progressed and the group eventually set up their look-out shifts. As they were in hostile territory, they slept similarly to how they did traveling. But now the group had to switch things up to account for Ron's absence. Thomas and Alice went to bed first while Suzanne was kept on watch.

* * *

It was only a couple of hours before sunrise the next day when Ron turned up. He came into the tent with a great smile on his face.

"Well, _someone_'s happy," Alice snarled at him.

"And so will you three, when you hear what I've got to say," Ron responded, undeterred by Alice's mood.

Alice was not convinced, "Really now? It better be good, considering how late you are. And it better not be that you scored with some girl."

Ron chuckled softly, "You won't be disappointed. But for now, I think I'll head to bed. Good night."

Alice just about lost it. She opened her mouth to yell at him when she remembered that she was to be quiet, and instead hissed at him, "No you will not! We've been keeping watch for longer hours thanks to this stunt of yours. I think you should keep watch now."

Now Ron started getting angry. "I haven't slept all night and I've still got a shift tomorrow! I didn't try to stay out later than usual, I just couldn't get away! I'm sure you got at least a little sleep in!"

"A little bit less now that you two are going at it," mumbled Suzanne as she sat up.

"I'm sorry Susie, I was trying to be quiet," said Ron, glaring at Alice.

"Don't pin this on me! This is all your fault!" Alice retorted.

"Enough!" hissed Suzanne. "Since I'm up, we may as well wake Tom so you can tell us what is so wonderful. I have no clue how he can sleep through all this."

Suzanne started shaking Thomas awake. "He's always been a heavy sleeper," Ron observed.

After some doing and a few grumblings from Thomas, Ron began speaking, "Okay, we have our opportunity guys. Kandar is apparently an arrogant bastard. It seems that some people have gotten wind of his scam and there have been a few uprisings against him. In order to quiet these uprisings, he's planning some sort of parade through the land the show everyone his crown and warn against taking action against the Empire. It's planned to occur in exactly one week and preparation begin tomorrow. I'm actually being pulled back to the Tower of Shanpane to help out."

"That's interesting, but he'll likely station a heavy guard around himself. Even if we did manage to take him out we'd have a time getting the crown. Without the crown, one of his men could just step up and keep going," Suzanne said.

"But he's going to open himself to attack right before the parade," Ron continued. "He's going to send the almost all his men in the tower to nearby towns in order to make preparations right before setting out. If we attack then, we'll have a decent chance of getting to him."

"This sounds like a trap. Why would he send his guards away right before leaving?" asked Thomas.

"Trap or no, this is too good an opportunity to pass up. We may never get another chance. Okay Ron, you make sure to tell us exactly when to make our move. Until then, we keep going as usual for this week. For now, Alice you're still on watch. You might want to apologize to Ron too." Suzanne said. She and Thomas went back to sleep.

Alice sighed and looked at Ron, "Fine. I'm sorry. I thought that you were just partying late with Kandar's men. You really came through this time. What can I do to make it up to you?"

Ron laughed and replied, "Don't worry about it. I did pull that stunt back at the castle. If I were you, I'd probably have thought the same thing."

Ron turned around to head for bed when he turned back around and looked at Alice thoughtfully, "Though, now that you mention it…"

"What?" asked Alice.

"A kiss or something would be nice," laughed Ron.

Alice responded by slapping Ron.

* * *

The week could not have gone by at a slower pace. The group was eager to begin the assault on the Tower of Shanpane. The greatest part of their plan was that it they would not have to fight any but Kandar's closest men. They wouldn't have to fight any villagers who had been pressed into serving Kandar. Halfway through the week, Ron found out that the men who were staying with Kandar were none other than the knights who had broken their vows and joined him. Although these men were the most dangerous, it would allow the group to take out all the most powerful tyrants in one attack.

At long last the week came to an end. The group snuck out of camp in the middle of the night to travel to the Tower of Shanpane. They came within two miles of the tower and hid while they watched Kandar's men walk towards their respective destinations.

"I've never seen such lack of organization. It shouldn't be difficult at all for Ron to break away from the rest," Alice observed.

"They seem to be in an awful hurry," Suzanne said.

"They most likely have some free time before Kandar marches out. They probably want to enjoy as much of it as they can," mused Thomas.

When the number of men coming from the tower had slimmed down to almost none, the group moved towards the tower. They had to disable some men who spotted them along the way, but otherwise made it without incident. They met up with Ron some hundreds of yards away.

"I thought you'd wait in the tower," said Suzanne.

"I would have, but there are monsters in there!" exclaimed Ron.

"Monsters?" asked Alice, confused.

"Yeah! One guy saw me head back to the tower. I thought I'd have to knock him out but he just warned me about going back to the tower. I went inside and, sure enough, there were some monsters in there," Ron explained.

"How can that be?" asked Suzanne. "There's no way monsters could move into the tower that quickly, especially with all the commotion caused by the men leaving. It'd have to have been empty for a little while for that to happen!"

"It would seem things aren't going to go as according to plan as we thought," observed Thomas.

* * *

The Tower of Shanpane had long been the capitol of the region. Since the region was poor and sparsely populated, usually the Duke who watched over it was at the end of his political career. As such, the tower was usually a dreary place. Some Dukes had even allowed monsters to enter the tower by not employing enough guards. The nearest town was about five miles away and nobody other than the Duke and his guards lived in the tower.

The reason the tower was so large was actually for military reasons. Ironically, the tower had been built to repel the Romalians who invaded the region before it had surrendered to the Empire. Although it was a fine fortress, lack of equipment and men led to it being captured quickly. In the present day, few even remember the name the region once had.

"I wasn't able to get a map of the tower, or learn where exactly Kandar is. That's one thing he was smart about. Looks like we'll have to check every room we can find," said Ron.

The group proceeded through the first few rooms at a quick pace. All the rooms in the tower were pretty large and open, so it was not too difficult to see whether or not Kandar was in the room. When the group came around to another room, they were greeted by a large teal caterpillar.

"Watch out! That's not the same kind of giant caterpillar we've been fighting around here!" warned Thomas.

Almost right after Thomas finished his sentence, the caterpillar opened its large mouth and let out a purple-colored gas at the four. Thomas and Alice managed to stay out of the breath, but Suzanne and Ron were almost engulfed in it and started coughing. Alice chanted a spell and sent a bolt of ice at the caterpillar, striking it head-on. After his brief coughing fit, Ron took out his sword and finished the caterpillar off.

"Both of you," Thomas said pointing at Suzanne and Ron, "come here for a second."

Thomas spent some time examining Suzanne and then cast a spell on her. He did the same for Ron.

"Poison?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. That breath is toxic to us. Those monsters are really dangerous because of that. I managed to neutralize it in both of you," Thomas explained.

"I see we have little worry of toxic monsters with our healer around," Ron said with a smile.

The group proceeded through the first floor, making sure to check every room. Then they backtracked to a set of stairs they found and went up. On the next floor, they noticed the tower was open from the north side going counterclockwise to the southeast side.

"I'm guessing that was so the defenders could shoot arrows at their attackers?" asked Alice.

"Most likely," said Suzanne. "Though it may not be. After all, if it were the Romalians that were invading, why would the wall be open on every side but the northeast? Wouldn't that be the direction they'd be coming from?"

"Actually, the Romalians weren't the only ones to invade this land. Apparently, they successfully fought of some invasion from an island kingdom to the northwest. I don't remember the name, or if it even still exists. That's probably the original reason the tower was built, and why it was not as effective against the Romalians," explained Ron.

"Incoming!" yelled Thomas.

Four men suddenly came flying, literally, at the party. The men all had fangs, heads with two points on the top, and wings coming out of their backs. Other than that, they were just like regular men.

Two of the mutants came at the group. Suzanne was tackled by one, but quickly lopped off one of her attacker's wings. Ron manage the slay the one that rushed him before it could tackle him. Thomas ran forward and scored a slash across the torso on one of the other two. Alice and the fourth mutant were chanting spells. The mutant finished its spell first, and the four were engulfed in strange energy waves. When Alice finished her spell, nothing happened.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed. "I know I chanted that spell correctly!"

The mutant Thomas attacked managed to give him a good blow as it flew at him but Thomas finished it off with a slash to the skull before it could get away from him. Suzanne finished off her foe while Ron ran over to the one that had cast the spell and impaled it.

"What was that spell they cast?" asked Ron. "I didn't feel anything, but I know it hit me."

"I know what it was now," began Alice. "That's a spell that keeps your enemies from casting spells. That's why my spell failed."

"How long does it last?" asked Suzanne.

"A few minutes," said Thomas. "It's actually a spell that some clerics can use."

"We better be careful then. We're going to need magic to take out Kandar and his men," said Suzanne.

* * *

The group proceeded towards the top of the tower. They came upon more monsters on the way, but managed to defeat them all with little incident. When they came to the fifth floor of the tower, they found themselves in a furnished room with two men in golden-colored armor sitting down in chairs. There were two swords sitting on the table between the two men. The men took notice of the four.

"That's the armor of Romaly! These are the knights!" said Ron.

"Men of Kandar! Surrender now and we will spare you!" yelled Suzanne at the two men.

"Whoa! Get a load of these weirdos!" said the one on the left.

Thomas and Alice started preparing spells. When the two men saw this, they grabbed their swords and started running up the stairs to the next floor. They made it up the steps just before they could be hit by a stream of fire and a harsh-cutting wind.

"After them! Before they can get reinforcements!" Suzanne yelled. The four gave chase.

When the four got to the next floor, they were greeted by the sight of the two men, another man with the same equipment, and a man who wore only enough to cover himself up plus a mask and who wielded a large axe.

"You done well to make it this far," the unarmored man said grimly. "I gotta hand it to ya."

"Whoever you are, surrender now and show us to your leader!" Suzanne yelled at the man.

"My leader?" asked the man. "I'm the leader! I'm Kandar, ruler of these here lands!"

"So you're responsible for all this tyranny," said Suzanne. "So be it. If you surrender, even you can be spared!"

Kandar laughed. "Just one thing," he began, "Ain't no one can catch us!" He then took a step forward. The four had no time to react before the floor underneath them gave away and they fell to the floor below. They could hear Kandar laughing above them, "See ya, suckers!"

After the four recovered from their fall, they ran back up the stairs. They were shocked to find that Kandar and his men were nowhere to be found.

"How is this possible!" Ron shouted in frustration. "There's only one way off this floor!"

"Well two," said Thomas, "if you count the way we just took."

"The wall is open over there!" shouted Alice. "Maybe they jumped!"

Thomas shook his head, "Unlikely. We would have seen them land somewhere on the same floor as us."

"Let's just check it out," Suzanne said.

The group proceeded to the break in the wall and found that there was a slide that led into a tunnel. The group wasted no time going down the slide. They found themselves going down two floors and landing somewhat roughly. As they got back up, they saw Kandar's men walking away.

"You won't get away from us!" Ron shouted at the four men.

Kandar and his men turned around, surprised. Kandar shouted back at the group, "Stubborn fools! I'll show you who's boss!" Kandar and his men spread out, surrounding the group.

Thomas quickly cast a spell at Kandar. A purple mist covered the air around him. Unfortunately, none of Kandar's men were caught in the spell, they had already spread out by then. However, Kandar was left sleeping on his feet. Alice let loose her stream of fire at Kandar, but that too failed to hit another target.

"Do not let them ruin what we have going! Kill the spellcasters first!" shouted one of Kandar's men.

As the three men rushed at Thomas and Alice, Suzanne and Ron stepped in front to block them. Suzanne took two nasty slashes to the midsection while Ron managed to block the one attack aimed for him. Suzanne managed to catch one man in the shoulder but Ron's counterattack was blocked.

"We need your help in melee, Tom!" shouted Suzanne, as Thomas was beginning a healing spell. Thomas terminated his spell and rushed into the melee. He struck the man who Suzanne had not struck back against in the leg. Suzanne ducked under another slash and returned with an upward slash at her man, giving him a nasty wound in the middle of his torso. This blow was followed by an ice bolt from Alice and the man was sent to the ground. Ron and his men traded blows, with Ron striking the man in his left arm while blocking another blow.

"Kandar's awake!" Alice warned. Kandar was coming to and Alice was unguarded from him.

"Counterclockwise rotation!" Suzanne yelled. The group had practiced several formations when they trained. As it was now, Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas, in that order from left to right, formed a front line in front of Alice to protect her from Kandar's men. With Suzanne's order, Ron left his man to engage Kandar, Suzanne took Ron's man, and Thomas took Suzanne's man.

Ron found that Kandar was a dangerous opponent. Ron took a blow across the shoulder from Kandar's large axe. Kandar than dodged Ron's blow with surprising speed for one so large.

"Focus on the others Alice!" Suzanne yelled as she struck her opponent, taking one in the leg as well. Alice had been about to blast Kandar when she heard Suzanne's order. She turned around and hit Thomas' opponent. Thomas was then easily able to finish off his foe. Ron and Kandar once again went at each other. This time, Ron managed to hit Kandar, though he took another slash, this time to the midsection.

Thomas went over and helped Suzanne finish her foe while Alice hit Kandar with an ice bolt. The blow knocked Kandar back and allowed him to take a deep cut from Ron's blade. With that, Kandar dropped his axe and cried, "I give up!"

Ron rushed up to Kandar and put his blade to Kandar's throat. "No funny movements," warned Ron. Thomas began healing the group of the various wounds they had received. Alice checked Kandar's men to see if they were going to get back up. She shook her head, indicating that they were dead.

Kandar was nervous, but continued talking, "Will ya let me go if I give ya the crown? Please?"

"Let you go?" asked Suzanne. "We'll let you live, if you do that and help us end your little regime here. But we can't let you go."

"Don't talk like that, it wasn't my fault! The crown is right over there!" Kandar protested, pointing to a chest towards the edge of the tower. Thomas ran over and grabbed the crown and showed the others. Kandar went on, "Those guys you killed weren't my men! They made me do this!"

"They made you do this?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Yeah. I took the crown, ya know that. But I didn't want to become a bad guy. Me and my buds, we were just goofin' around before we took it apart and sold it. Some people saw me and started bowing to me, callin' me 'Duke'. We thought it was pretty awesome, but then those knights found us. They killed my buds and forced me to be the 'Duke'. Said they had a big chance that they wouldn't have without me. Said people would recognize them since they were knights, but the Duke hardly got out ever."

Kandar took a deep breath and continued, "So they made me do this. I was just a person to put on the crowd and act noble. They're the ones that went and did all that stuff to the people. I just wanted money."

"Be that as it may," replied Suzanne, "we still can't just let you go."

"Wait!" shouted Kandar, almost making Ron cut him on accident. "I know something! Something ya all will want to know! There's some people under a curse somewhere! This guy told me when he thought I was the Duke! There's people under some sleeping curse, and if they don't wake soon, they'll die!"

"Sounds like quite the story," snarled Ron.

"It's true!" Kandar protested.

"Let's say it is true," said Suzanne. "Why not tell the Emperor? He sent us because he didn't want to kill his own people. Surely he could send him men in this case."

Kandar persisted, "They won't make it! The guy said they only have about…" he paused to remember for a second and then continued, "three days left! It'll take at least one for the Emperor to mobilize some mages! He'll need them to get them to Kanave on time, but even then the town's too far away! If you hurry, you can make it!"

Suzanne thought it over for a second and then asked the others, "What do you think guys? Is he telling the truth?"

"He's lying to save his skin," growled Ron.

"Probably true," began Thomas. "But what if he speaks the truth? Many lives could be in the balance. I don't think we can take that chance."

"Okay then, where is this village Kandar?" Suzanne asked.

"Oh no ya don't! You're not trickin' me that easy!" Kandar said. "You have a map of the Empire?"

Alice reached into her bag and took out a map of the Romalian Empire.

"Give me the map and somethin' to write with," said Kandar. "I'll mark it, and you give me a wing of wyvern. Sound good?"

Suzanne nodded. Alice took out a wing of wyvern and handed it to Suzanne, along with the map. Suzanne gave the map and a pen to Kandar. Kandar marked down a spot on the map and then nodded. Kandar and Suzanne both began to exchange items at the same time, careful to watch the other.

"On the count of three Kandar. And I warn you, if even a single feather falls off the wing, it won't work. So I'll have no trouble keeping you here if you try not to give away the map." Suzanne warned.

"And I can rip the map off where ya need to see if you do the same," said Kandar.

Suzanne counted the three and the two quickly made the exchange. Kandar quickly threw the wing into the air and teleported away.

"I can't believe we let that dirtbag go," said Ron.

"I think he was telling the truth," said Alice. "He may be a thief, but I don't think he's a murderer or a tyrant."

"If he's telling the truth, we have to get a move on," said Thomas.

"But on our way out, we still have to liberate this land," Suzanne said.

* * *

Author's note: I tried to come up with more concrete reasons for the whole "Golden Crown" quest you get in Romaly, as well as for why you just let Kandar go.


	7. Chapter 6: Shattered Dreams

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 6: Shattered Dreams

It did not take long for the remnants of Kandar's regime to fall. A sizable portion of Kandar's force had been made up of regular citizens who had been pressed into serving him, thinking they would incur the wrath of the Empire otherwise. When Kandar was replaced by a small band of warriors, showing the crown to the crowd and proclaiming him to be false, riots erupted quickly. Many of the criminals and villains who knew that Kandar was not the true Duke fled quickly. Those that remained were cast down by the superior numbers of the crowds.

Although they would have liked to help the region calm down, the four did not have time to waste. If Kandar was to be believed, they had only three days to teleport to Kanave and then travel north to the village Kandar spoke of. The group found a volunteer to send the crown and a message to the Emperor describing what had happened and then they set off. After teleporting to Kanave the team set off immediately, without stopping to rest. The decision was reckless, they still needed to recover from the battle with Kandar, but they decided they had little choice. There were still a few hours of daylight left and the village was about a day and a half away.

* * *

"You're in a cheerful mood today," observed Suzanne.

It was true, Alice had a grin going from ear to ear, "Why shouldn't I be? I don't see how the guys can mope after what we pulled off yesterday. And now we don't have to stay undercover in enemy territory anymore. We can walk around freely and make as much noise as we want!"

"Yeah, that is nice. I was worried we were going to start killing each other for a little while there," replied Suzanne.

Alice laughed, "Surely it wasn't that bad! We had a few arguments but we never were actually going to hurt each other."

Suzanne was sporting a grin now, "This is coming from the one who was probably the most angry? Even Tom was nowhere near as sour as you were."

"That's because the situation didn't affect Tom," Alice protested. "He never wants to talk or make noise. Those few weeks were probably a dream come true for him."

"Oh don't say that," said Suzanne. "You make it sound as though he hates people."

"Well he sure doesn't love them," replied Alice.

Suzanne sighed and said, "He has his own way of showing concern. He wouldn't be so sour today if that wasn't the case."

Alice looked confused, "I didn't even notice he was worse than usual today. What is it this time?"

"You do realize that we actually killed people yesterday, right? Not just monsters, but actual people as well." Suzanne asked.

"What choice did we have?" asked Alice. "They were the ones who abused and killed all those people. And don't you remember, you gave them a chance to surrender. They could have dropped their weapons and given up, made amends for all they did. If you ask me, they weren't much better than monsters."

"I know that, and I've made my peace with it. But Tom takes the pain and death among humans very seriously. Despite his grumpy attitude, he is still a cleric," Suzanne explained.

Alice shook her head, "Men. They just can't accept that everything isn't going to be their way. Ron is still pissed off at how we let Kandar go. He thinks we're wasting our time and that we let a mass murderer trick us."

"Can't say I really blame him either," Suzanne replied. "But before you say it, I know we have no choice here either. Really, if there's one thing that makes me mad it's that fact: that we didn't have a choice in anything yesterday. We couldn't beat Kandar without killing and we couldn't apprehend him either. We accomplished our objective, but it seems like we couldn't have done any worse a job at it."

Alice's smile returned, "Oh sure we could have! Remember, those guys we killed were corrupt knights, maybe even the evil masterminds of the operation if Kandar was telling the truth. We didn't kill innocents and we learned of those poor people under a curse. In the end, we helped and are going to help far more people than we've done harm to. Really, how could we have done any better a job?"

Suzanne's smile returned now as well, "You're right Alice."

* * *

The party made it to the village Kandar spoke of late that day. As they came upon the village, they found it was just as Kandar had said: everyone in the village was asleep. Curiously, every person was still standing, but their eyes were closed and they breathed as though asleep. The four wandered through the surreal scene looking for any clue as to how they were supposed to undo this condition. They came upon a house on the outskirts of town and went inside.

"This is hopeless," said Thomas. "The only people that could give us a clue as to how to help these people are the victims."

"If only one of them had escaped whatever it is that did this," said Ron.

"Is somebody there?" a voice called from above. The group was shocked to hear the voice.

"We're sorry for having intruded into your house," Suzanne called upstairs. "We were wondering what happened here."

There was a pause for a moment and the group wondered if they would get thrown out. Then the voice replied, "Come upstairs."

The four did as they were told and went upstairs. They came upon an awake old man sitting at a table by himself. He acknowledged the group with a sigh and motioned for them to sit. There was only one chair in the room, the one the old man sat on, so the group sat on the floor.

After another brief pause, Suzanne spoke up again, "Once again, we are sorry for intruding. I'm Suzanne. This is Ron, Thomas, and Alice. We were wondering what made these people fall into this standing sleep."

The man sighed again and began his tale, "My name is Sam. It was the elves. They came here about three weeks ago in a frightful fury. They put a powerful sleeping spell on the village. Everyone was frozen to the spot instantly, put into their slumber. I was just out of town at the time so I was missed. I came in just as they were leaving. A few saw me, but all they did was yell at me and keep walking. Perhaps they decided I wasn't worth coming back for."

"We heard about this village from a man named Kandar," Suzanne said. "He said that if the people weren't cured soon, they would die. Do we have to find these elves to cure the people before they die?"

Sam looked confused for a second. "I don't know who this Kandar is, but it sounds like he embellished the story. Or maybe it was my messenger. A traveler came by about two weeks ago. I told him what happened and asked him to seek help for Noaniels, as this village is called. As far as I know, this curse only puts the people in a never ending sleep. Even when angry, the elves are not the type to take life."

"That lying bastard," Ron muttered under his breath.

"So you say the people will be alright, but will never wake up?" asked Alice.

"As far as I know," answered the old man. "I really don't know anything about the curse. I just made some assumptions."

"It sounds an awful lot like death," Thomas mused.

"Do you know why the elves did this?" Suzanne asked.

"Humans and elves have never gotten along well," explained Sam. "In this case, the elves kept yelling about some injustice we apparently inflicted on them: something about some girl's murder and a Dream Ruby."

"So they've accused everyone in this village as party to robbery and murder?" asked Ron.

Sam shook his head, "To the elves, one human's offense is the offense of all humans. The elves only see the bad in us. I don't know who did what to them or why, but the elves would associate the evil deed with all of us."

"Maybe if we told the emperor, he'd negotiate with the elves," suggested Alice.

The old man shook his head again, "That would backfire. There are a number of treaties between Romaly and the elves. Most of them state that Romalian officials are not to enter their lands. If a single one entered their territory, they would consider it an act of war."

"Is the elve's magic strong enough to challenge the Empire?" asked Ron.

"No," replied Sam. "But I believe the Emperor wants to avoid any further bloodshed between humans and elves. There's certainly enough going back through history."

"What if we went into their lands?" asked Suzanne. "What would they do?"

"As far as I know, not a whole lot so long as you don't brandish those weapons of yours too much. They'll yell at you to leave, but they won't take much action. One man has already gone to talk with them. Since they haven't come forward and attacked another village, I'm guessing he didn't anger them too much," answered Sam.

"Well then, that's what we'll do. We're going to go into their lands and have a word with them. Hopefully we'll at least find out why they did this," said Suzanne.

* * *

The team stayed the night at the inn. They set out early the next morning and went west, the direction that Sam said the elves lived. The old man said that it was about a day's journey to the forest the elves claimed, but had no idea where in the forest the elves actually lived. The team camped on the edge of the forest after one day and went inside the forest the next morning.

The four felt they had overstayed their welcome almost immediately after entering. They constantly felt as though they were being watched and even caught a glimpse of a figure running away every so often. Sometimes they tried to call out their peaceful intentions, but they were greeted with only silence. The team tried to discern the location of a settlement by judging the general direction the elves were coming from, but quickly realized that the elves were coming from all directions.

Eventually, the party finally came upon a settlement. The place had clearly been warned of their approach, there wasn't a sign of a single elf inside the settlement. Once again, the team voiced their peaceful intentions.

"We come in peace!" Suzanne called, her arms raised in the air to show that she currently was not wielding a weapon. "We only wish to help the village of Noaniels, to the east of here! Please tell us why they were cursed!"

The four could sense a stir coming from around the area. Whispers and random noises came from the small houses around the area. Then suddenly, a high pitched voice came out, "Stop bothering us humans! Your village deserved what they got!"

The four turned to the house the noise came from. They could see nothing in the windows, but the whispers rose in volume and the whole area seemed to get even tenser. They thought they heard somebody shush the speaker. As if the confirm that suspicion, the voice called out again, "I will not be quiet! Consider what that human did to Anne!"

Suzanne called at the house the voice came from, "What happened to this Anne you speak of? What can we do to make amends?"

The voice laughed at them, "Ha! Why don't you go find the queen? See if you can 'make amends' to her! I hope she puts every one of you to sleep! It's more than you deserve!"

"Well then, where is this queen of yours?" Suzanne asked.

"Walk north of here, if you dare!" called out the voice.

After that last shout, several other shouts of "You fool!" and "You would betray the queen!" came out, obviously at the voice that Suzanne had been conversing with. The mood of the area was near bursting point now.

"We better get out of here quickly," said Suzanne.

* * *

The team headed north as they were directed and found another settlement that was a bit larger than the other one they had visited. The elves in this settlement were not quite as afraid as in the other, they stood their ground as the team walked by. The team decided to walk towards the largest house in the area, deciding that was a good place to start. They were relieved when they found the house had no door, and as they looked inside they could clearly see a grand wooden throne, upon which sat a beautiful elf woman.

As the four approached, the woman shook her head at them and said, "More humans. The very sight of you sickens me. Let me guess, you are here to get me to lift the curse on your filthy village."

Suzanne made sure to keep her voice calm, though the queen's words were vile and infuriating, "Yes, your Highness. We wish to know what the people of that village did and what we can do to make amends for that."

The queen's voice had even more venom, if possible, when she replied, "Just like you, another vile human has come here seeking the same thing. But you say you do not know the latest despicable deed your kind has committed? Well allow me to enlighten you. My daughter, Anne, was put under a dark spell by one of your evil kin. Convinced that she was in love with such an ugly thing, she took the Dream Ruby, a beautiful treasure of our people, and eloped. No doubt the coward has taken the ruby and is long gone, and who knows what he did to my daughter?"

"Forgive me for asking, your Highness," Suzanne began to ask, "but is it possible that they were genuinely in love?"

The queen's face grew into a terrible picture of rage at the suggestion, "Do not insult me, human! Unless you want to share that village's fate, you will be gone from my sight!"

The four left the house and walked through the settlement. Suzanne was hardly able to contain her anger as she said, "I haven't had such a charming talk with royalty since I talked with our own king."

Ron was equally angry, "Bah! What can we do about something like this? I say we just go back and tell the emperor. He'll handle the situation however he thinks is best."

"Didn't the queen say there was another human here?" asked Thomas.

"You're right. Maybe if we find this other person we can get a different side of this story," suggested Suzanne.

It did not take too long to find the other human in the elf settlement. All the team had to do was find the other spot receiving heavy looks and being avoided by elves. They found the human by a pond looking at the water sorrowfully. The man was younger than Sam, but a little older than middle aged. As the team came near the man, he looked up in surprise.

"Well it's nice to see people who don't glare or shout at me. Who might you be?" asked the man.

"I'm Suzanne. My companions are Ron, Thomas, and Alice. We hear you are here on behalf of the village of Noaniels?" replied Suzanne.

"You heard right. My name is Zelt. I came here to convince the queen to get rid of her damn curse, but she won't listen to reason," said the man.

"She believes a human tricked her daughter. Do you know the man accused of doing so?" asked Suzanne.

"I better, he's my son. Vince is his name," Zelt explained. "Damned fool. He should've known better than to get involved with these people. He never did listen. Now the elves are saying he worked some sort of dark magic on their princess and blame not only him, but the whole village."

"Do you have any idea where he is? Finding him and Anne could save the village," asked Suzanne.

"If I knew where that boy got off to, I'd go in bring him in myself," said Zelt. "Can't ask the elves for any clues either, as I'm sure you've noticed. All I figure I can do now is stay in their territory until they either break the curse or put me under it."

"Well, thanks for the info. Will the elves mind very much if we stay the night in the forest? We won't stay in their settlement," said Suzanne.

"Hell, I've been sleeping right here day after day. They may hate us, but they won't kill us without reason. They're a strange bunch," replied Zelt.

* * *

The team set up camp just outside the settlement that night. They decided to continue their usual watch routines not only because of the hostile elves, but because there were still some monsters in the forest as well. After almost scaring herself to death the night before, Alice was given the first watch since the team had gone to bed a little earlier than usual, so there was still some light out for a portion of Alice's watch.

After Alice's shift was done it was Thomas' turn to keep watch. Thomas found this particular shift extremely annoying. Even though it was past midnight and yet nowhere near dawn, elves still milled about in the trees. Thomas found it aggravating to have to keep track of so much motion in the trees. Apparently the elves had less stringent sleeping schedules than humans. Either that or the elves still considered them enough of a threat that they had spies running around watching them.

After a while, Thomas noticed some movement that seemed quite a bit closer than all the previous movement had been. The elves had still kept their distance from the group even while they slept. But this figure actually seemed to be approaching the group. However, Thomas did not want to alarm the group right away, lest it prove to be a false alarm such as one Alice made from time to time.

Before Thomas could ponder the issue further, the figure had already walked up to their camp. Thomas was surprised at how fast the figure had crossed the distance between them. Upon seeing the figure was indeed an elf, he decided that elves must be able to cross the forest remarkably quick. Thomas did not dwell on the fact though. His hand reached for his weapon and he warned the figure, "State your business."

Seeing Thomas reaching for his weapon and the warning in his voice, the figure gave an audible gasp and put its hands in the air. It almost turned and fled on the spot, but managed to stand its ground. The figure gave a nervous reply, "I-I-I mean you no harm." The figure was definitely an elf, and also a female by the sound of the voice.

Thomas' hand remained ready to draw his weapon, "You'll have to forgive me if I don't take your word for it."

"Please, hear me out," the elf requested. "I know where Anne and the human are."

"Then shouldn't you tell your queen so she can rally your forces to apprehend the human who tricked your princess?" Thomas asked coldly.

"I know the human didn't trick her," said the elf. "I was Anne's best friend. She did love him."

"Then I ask again: why not tell your queen? You could save a lot of trouble by doing so," said Thomas.

The elf was just about near hysterical now. "I can't!" she cried. "You talked with her! You know she won't believe anything else! She needs proof!"

Thomas stayed silent for a small amount of time, then took his hand off his weapon and relaxed. When he spoke, his voice lost some of its edge, "I'm sorry. We haven't had the best of welcomes here. So where are Anne and Vince?"

The elf was crying now, "They went to the cave to the south! Anne said she was going to find a world where they could be together! She sounded like she was going to do something drastic!"

"Calm down. They might have just gone to the cave because they thought they'd be alone," Thomas suggested. "Is the cave often visited?"

"No! There are monsters in the cave!" the elf cried. "It's really dangerous!"

"Okay then, my companions and I will head over there. They've probably just moved on by now. But if they're still there, we'll make sure they aren't in trouble. Meanwhile, it'd be really helpful if you could tell the queen what you know. Though I do agree with you, the queen probably won't listen," Thomas said.

"Thank you!" the elf replied.

"Could you mark on a map where this cave is?" asked Thomas.

Thomas took out a map of the area and gave it to the elf. She put a mark on it, gave the map back, and ran away back into the forest.

Thomas watched the elf retreat and then went back to trying to track the rest of the movement in the forest. "This is still the most aggravating watch I've ever had," he muttered to himself.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas recounted his encounter with the elf and the team headed south to the cave she had marked on the map. Since the only map the team had of elf territory was one of the entire continent, the mark was still not precise. It took a few hours of searching in the general area to find the cave. The team went inside.

"Another search mission conducted in a hostile environment," said Ron gloomily. "Why can't we ever just walk straight through these places?"

"At least we shouldn't have to deal with any human hostiles," said Alice. "We've had to fight cultists and criminals in the last two."

The group had descended first into a hallway of sorts. The hallway branched into rooms in a few places. In a couple of rooms the team found items in containers on the floor: a wing of wyvern and some gold. The group proceeded to find a descending staircase in the next room. As usual, they decided not to descend until they checkout out the entire floor.

As they neared the next room, they were greeted by two large red dogs. The dogs looked as though they had been killed and then brought back. They sported numerous gruesome injuries such as missing eyes or having their ribs showing.

"Undead!" Thomas shouted.

The team had their weapons at the ready while one of the dogs instantly charged them. The other dog stayed back and started growling and moving in an odd fashion. Just as the charging dog reached the group, all four humans were engulfed in a strange purple light. The charging dog went at Suzanne and tore a nice gash across her torso.

Suzanne tried a counterattack but missed as the dog jumped backward. Ron ran forward and slashed the dog across the face, almost cleaving its head in two. Surprisingly, the dog barely flinched at the pain. Thomas sent a healing spell at Suzanne while Alice cast a spell that engulfed the team in a bright yellow light.

The other dog joined in the melee this time. The dog used its great agility to slip past Suzanne and Ron and right for Alice. Alice took a bite to the leg as Thomas and Suzanne went over the return the dog's favor. The two managed to dispatch the dog with two deep cuts to the torso. Ron took a bite to the leg from the remaining dog, but returned with a thrust through its body. The dog fell to the ground motionless.

"Magic using zombie dogs?" Ron wondered. "What was that purple light? I felt terrible when that hit me."

"That spell makes a person more vulnerable to physical harm," Thomas explained.

"Luckily I know the spell that counteracts it!" Alice beamed.

"Can't that spell be used to reduce damage from physical harm as well?" Suzanne asked.

Both Thomas and Alice nodded. "We should have used that against Kandar and his men," Suzanne said. "It would've been nice to take less damage from them."

"Sorry Susie, I didn't think of that," Alice apologized.

"Don't worry about it, let's just remember that for next time," Suzanne said.

As the group entered the final room on the floor, they found two more staircases going down. They decided to take the staircase on the left. They came into a small room with a large puddle of water in the corner to their left. There was another zombie dog and two large, purple toadstools huddled over something in the middle of the room. The monsters quickly took notice of the group.

The dog quickly used its spell and the team was once again subject to the draining purple light. As Suzanne and Ron charged forward and Alice started chanting the counterspell, one of the large toadstools let out a great purple mist on the group. The mist smelled very sweet and put Alice and Ron to sleep.

"This isn't good!" shouted Suzanne. "We have to take care of the dog first or it'll chew those two to pieces!"

Suzanne and Thomas went up to the dog and struck it with their weapons. Unfortunately, the dog was still moving and bit Thomas in the arm. One of the toadstools marched up to Ron and rammed him with its head. Ron, woke up by the pain, started to get up only to get rammed by the other one and fall back down.

Thomas finished off the dog while Suzanne went over the help Ron. Suzanne sent a slash across one of the creature's middle. Both the toadstools turned to attack Suzanne now. She blocked the ram of one with her shield, only to be caught by the other. Suzanne fell to the ground.

Thomas rushed over and finished off the toadstool Suzanne had wounded. The other one caught him in the arm and Thomas fell to the ground. The toadstool started beating on Thomas while he was on the ground only to be hit by a large stream of fire. Alice had woken up. The creature was burned to death by her spell. Alice began waking up her companions.

"Damnit!" cursed Ron. "I woke up only to get hit by that thing in the stomach. Then I couldn't keep my eyes open at all!"

After healing the team of their injuries, Thomas examined their fallen foes. "They're covered in sleeping powder," he explained. "When they attack, a bunch of it falls off on what it attacks. They also have that sweet breath too."

"This seems to be a dangerous place," observed Suzanne. "I can't help but think those two had a death wish, coming here."

"Or maybe they just came here to hide! Or better yet, didn't actually come here at all!" said Alice hopefully.

"I hope you're right," said Suzanne.

"Hey guys!" called Ron. "These monsters were huddling around these acorns here!"

Ron showed the acorns to the rest of the group. Thomas examined them and said, "Acorns of life, they're called. They say whoever eats them will live longer."

"Really?" Alice asked. "Let me see!"

Ron handed the acorns to Alice and ate them. She started wincing and almost spat them back out. The rest of the group laughed at her.

"Apparently they don't taste very well," said Suzanne.

"It's not that, these things actually hurt to eat! I feel like my mouth is bleeding!" Alice complained.

"That is supposed to be one of the side effects," said Thomas. "Ironic really."

The team pressed onwards up the other staircase in the room. They came to another hallway with another staircase going up.

"I think this is the first staircase we found," Suzanne observed.

"Should be," said Alice, who was drawing a map of the dungeon as they went along.

"Hopefully that means they're right down that one we haven't tried yet," said Ron.

"Somehow, I doubt it'd be that easy," said Thomas.

The team went back to the room with the two staircases and went down the one on the right this time. They were greeted by a small creek of colorful water that wound around and surrounded a few large stones.

"How beautiful!" Alice exclaimed.

"Hmm, I wonder…" Thomas thought aloud. He went over and examined the rainbow water. Then he took a drink from it.

"How remarkable!" he exclaimed. "This is a spring of healing! Drinking from it not only restores health and erases wounds, but it refills your magic too! I never thought I'd see one in my life!"

"Really? Let me take a drink!" Alice said.

The whole team took a drink from the spring of healing. The magic waters made them feel refreshed, as though they had just woken up from a good night's sleep and had not been fighting at all.

"Maybe this is why they came here!" Alice theorized. "With this spring, they could keep themselves safe and hidden for a little while. All they'd need is some food and they'd be set!"

"But there's no sign of them here," Suzanne said. "This is probably the only safe place in here. Why would they leave?"

The group continued to explore the floor. After the room with the spring, they came to a large hallway with two other ways out. In one way they found some zombie dogs, which they managed to mop up without incident, and two items: a knife and a seed of sorts. Thomas explained that the seed was similar to the acorns, but it increased strength. Ron decided to take this one and reported no ill effects of this seed. Alice took the knife, saying that it was a magic knife, one that would do more damage. None of the other three preferred to fight with a knife, so they let her have it.

The group proceeded back to the split and went through another hallway to find a staircase leading down. They came to a large corridor with another descending staircase in the middle of it. As they explored the rest of the floor, they found some gold around the place. This floor was very large, with several rooms and hallways. They found another descending staircase with a bottle of fairy water in it. Fairy water was often used as a monster repellent. However, monsters had grown increasingly resistant to it recently so its use had dwindled.

As the group came to the last room, they were greeted by two men-bats, similar to the ones they encountered in the Tower of Shanpane. These were very dark in complexion and dress, however.

One of the bats charged the group and tried to fly over Suzanne and Ron to try and get at Alice, but Suzanne made a jumping slash at it tore one of its wings off. It fell to the ground hard. Ron tried to rush the other one only to get blasted by a bolt of ice. Alice finished casting a spell and a large stream of fire burned through the air and scorched the creature. It fell to the ground. Thomas finished off the creature Suzanne had wounded.

"That one went pretty well. Good job guys," congratulated Suzanne.

Thomas healed Ron of the wound the creature gave him. "I am sick and tired of magic users!" Ron exclaimed. Both Thomas and Alice gave him a look and said, "Oh come on, you know I don't mean you guys!"

"The stream of fire spell seemed stronger than usual, Alice," Suzanne said.

Alice giggled and explained, "That's because it is stronger. It takes some more power to cast but you can't argue with the results!" Indeed, the monster she hit was pretty thoroughly scorched.

Suzanne laughed, "I just learned your first fire stream spell not too long ago too. And here I thought I was catching up with you!"

The team found that the creatures had been guarding some more gold. Having explored the entire floor, they went down the closest staircase, the one in the adjacent room. They came into another hallway. However, the hallway opened up into a massive room filled with water. There was a bridge leading to a small island in the middle of the mass. On this island were some large stones and a chest.

"Wow!" said Alice. "Where did all this water come from?"

"Could it be from the ocean? We're not that far away from it," suggested Ron.

The group went over the bridge and up to the chest. Inside the chest they found a beautiful, large red ruby and a small piece of paper.

"That's a pretty impressive jewel there," said Suzanne.

"What does the paper say?" asked Alice.

Suzanne began to read the paper out loud, "Forgive me, Mother, for departing this world ahead of you. If my love for him, that of elf for human, is forbidden in this world, at least I can be with him in the one beyond. Anne."

The group was speechless at first. Suzanne was the first to speak, "Well, they must have come down here to throw themselves in the water. I'm guessing this is the Dream Ruby."

"It would seem we don't have to search that last staircase," Ron said grimly.

"We should anyway. Maybe they didn't go through with it, and that's where they are!" Alice said, though the group could tell she did not believe what she said.

Indeed, the group backtracked to the other staircase only to find themselves in the same area, just on another small body of land. There was no trace of the two.

"Well, so begins the long backtrack out," said Ron.

"No, I can teleport us out," said Alice.

"I thought you could only do that in the open?" asked Ron.

"There's a special spell for indoors. It's great for caves like this!" said Alice.

Alice cast the spell and teleported the team out of the cave.

* * *

Author's note: Didn't plan on this chapter going so long. Hopefully it wasn't too long-winded.


	8. Chapter 7: Rewards

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 7: Rewards

Suzanne had definitely had enough of elven hospitality. After finding the Dream Ruby and the note left by Anne, the group had wasted no time in getting back to the elf queen. The team had assumed that the queen would let up on her punishment on Noaniels after being presented with evidence of the truth. The group was mistaken in their assumption.

After seeing the note and Ruby, the queen went into an incredible rage, even more terrible than the one she exhibited on the group the last time they visited. The queen went on and on about a human conspiracy and ordered the four put to sleep until she could think of an adequate punishment for both the team and the people of Noaniels.

When the team was brought out of their magical slumber, they found that Zelt had also been put to sleep. The team was informed that although the elves were sure of their guilt, they still were fair enough to examine the note and Ruby. In doing so, they found no evidence that the note was faked or enchanted in any way. Since an enchanted writer leaves magical trace of the enchantment on what he or she writes, this would also mean that the writer of the note was not enchanted.

After being assured that their names had been cleared, the group was asked to talk with the queen once more. The group braced themselves for another shouting match with royalty.

"Why!" the group heard the queen's anguished voice as they neared her room. "Why was I so hard on them!"

As the group entered, they found the queen crying on her throne. When they entered, the queen quickly composed herself and assumed her human-hating glare, though all four of them could see there was a little less venom in that glare.

"It would seem I was wrong about you and that other human," said the queen, her voice stern and formal. "We've run every test we can find and they all say that Anne truly wrote that note. The fact that you found and returned the Dream Ruby helps validate that Anne was not simply tricked through non-magical means. I will lift the curse on the human village of Noaniels." The queen's voice lost its edge now, "It's what Anne would have wanted."

The queen motioned for one of her elven attendants and the elf went over and handed a bag to the group. "This is Wake Up Powder," explained the queen. "All you need to do is turn the bag inside out and the powder will go forth on its own and cover a circular area of a five-mile radius. This should easily cover the village so long as you do not open the bag prematurely."

"Thank you, your Majesty," said Suzanne. She paused for a moment and then said, "We're sorry for your loss."

The queen's face flashed with anger, an expression the group was quite familiar with by now. "This does not mean I like or trust humans now!" she snapped at them. "Be gone from my sight! Take the older one with you too!"

The four left the queen's room and found Zelt at the same place they had first met him. The man was not the same stubborn man they had met before. The man appeared to be in the same condition as the queen: a great deal of grief.

"Oh, my poor son!" sobbed Zelt. "Why did it have to come to this? How did everything get so screwed up?"

Alice went up to the man and put an arm on his shoulder. "At least he found his true love," she said. "He couldn't have been too unhappy so long as he was with her."

Zelt's tears abated, though the man was still choked up. "Did the queen agree to take her curse off the village?"

"Yeah, she gave us what we need to reverse it," replied Alice. "We're going to escort you back to the village."

The man nodded his head. Without warning, he started to chuckle. "You know," he began, "Vince actually introduced me to Anne. Had her wearing this tight hat to cover up her ears. I was so relieved that boy was finally going to settle down. I didn't get angry 'till I found out she was an elf. To think, if not for some minor features none of this would have ever happened."

* * *

The group made the trip back to the village of Noaniels with little incident. As they were instructed, they took the bag of Wake Up Powder the elf queen gave them and turned it inside out. The powder left the bag as if taken up by a great wind and flew over a great distance, farther than any of the four could see. They watched as the villagers opened their eyes, looked around confused for a moment, and then went about their business again.

The group decided to have some chats with the people of the village, now that they were awake. All the villagers remembered going to sleep but did not remember the elves attacking. With both Zelt and Sam around to tell the village what happened, the villagers were quick to thank their saviors for their deeds. Suzanne was at the village eatery when she heard an interesting comment.

"You know miss, you remind me of this other traveler that was around here years ago," said a man at the eatery. "I swear, your eyes are just like his. He and his friends were going to talk with the elves about the Archfiend everyone's been whispering about.

Suzanne's eyes widened at the story. "What was his name?" she asked.

"Ortega," answered the man.

"That was my father! He was here?" Suzanne exclaimed.

"Well, isn't that a coincidence?" mused the man. "Yeah, he was here. He and his bunch were kind of like yours. Foreigners, but nice, helpful people."

"Why did he go to talk to the elves?" asked Suzanne.

"Said he wanted to patch relations between them and the empire. Said that we couldn't be parted against a common foe," explained the man.

Suzanne sighed, "I see he wasn't successful."

Suzanne steered the conversation away from the elves at this point. When the group had talked with the queen, their first objective was the village. If things went well, then they would have petitioned the elves to join those who stood against the Archfiend. But the elves were clearly not going to listen to the words of any human. The group had decided not to even try.

"Do you know where my father went after he left the village?" Suzanne asked the man.

"After being rejected by the elves I believe he went to the southeast side of the emperor. Apparently, he heard a rumor about a magic key in the trading town of Assaram. He didn't let things get him down, he didn't," the man replied.

Suzanne talked with the man some more and then departed for Zelt's house. When the group had escorted Zelt to his home, he invited the four to dinner and they decided to take him up on his offer after they talked with the villagers a bit.

"I wish I had an adequate reward for you," Zelt said as they sat at his table. "But I don't have much besides some coins. I'm sure the town would pitch in to get you guys a reward though, considering all you've done for us.

"We don't need any reward," said Suzanne. "It was enough just to get the truth out."

Zelt chuckled, "Well aren't you the humble bunch. Whatever you say, you should go visit our duke or maybe even the emperor himself. I'm sure you'll get a nice reward from them. I could write you a note so they don't think you're lying."

"Bru mod murmury," said Alice, her mouth full of food.

"I think she said, 'That's not necessary,'" translated Ron.

"I've never seen a young woman eat so much," laughed Zelt.

By this point, Alice had swallowed her food. "Hey, I need a lot of food to work my magic! Where do you think all my incredible power comes from?" she defended herself.

"That's funny, because Suzanne uses magic and she's finished eating. Thomas uses as much magic as you do and he ate the least," Ron said.

Alice sent a glare at Ron of such anger, he was worried he would turn to stone if he looked her in the eyes for too long.

* * *

Despite the group's objections, they could not stop Zelt from giving them the fee for a night at the inn. The next morning the innkeeper gave them a package sent from the whole village, inside of which was a green cloak and a note from Zelt.

The note read, "Well, we found it. Protest all you like, you're keeping it. This handy piece of clothing enhances the wearer's ability to dodge blows. It's called the cloak of evasion. It's got some magic in it, it does. Great for those that don't like heavy armor."

The group could not help but stop by Zelt's house to thank him and the village for the generous gift. Alice donned the cloak over her clothing. Then the group finally decided to teleport to the castle town of Romaly.

* * *

It was not difficult for the group to get another audience with the emperor. When the guards at the town gate saw them, they immediately shepherded them to the emperor's throne room. They found the ruler on his throne with the crown Kandar had stolen from his on his head and with a large smile on his face.

"Hail, great heroes!" he addressed them. "I have heard of your wonderful deeds! You'll be happy to know that the riots have stopped in the land Kandar usurped. A new duke has been appointed and peace and order have returned to the region. I also got your message about the village on the northern side of the empire. Might I ask what happened?"

The group explained the story of Noaniels and the elves to the emperor. The ruler was quite impressed with the story.

"So you saved the village without the use of force," the emperor recapped. "Your abilities, in diplomacy as much as in battle, are great. I don't know if I could have gotten the elves to lift their curse. I truly thank you."

"It was our pleasure, your Majesty," said Suzanne. "At the risk of sounding pushy, does this mean you will support us on our quest? Will you endorse us to other nations as we try to unite all against the Archfiend?"

The emperor's smile grew, "I will do better than that. Do you remember the reward I hinted at last we met? It is now time to give that reward."

The emperor got up off his throne. To the surprise of the group, he took his crown off his head and stood before Ron.

He turned his head to the side to address Suzanne, "Forgive me. Although you seem to be the leader of this group, I do not believe the Romalian Empire is ready for a female ruler, despite her deeds."

The group looked at the emperor in shock as he turned his attention to Ron and said, "Ron of Aliahan. I give to you the crown of the Romalian Empire along with the position of Emperor. Do you accept this great honor and responsibility?"

All four were speechless at first. Ron managed to ask, "Forgive me, your Highness, but is this a good idea? This isn't what we had in mind."

The emperor chuckled, "Not what you had in mind, I'm sure. This is far better. Think about it, one of your number, the ruler of a nation! Surely there is no better way to get that nation's support! I ask again: Ron of Aliahan, do you accept this great honor and responsibility?"

* * *

"It's been four days, and I still can't believe that idiot accepted the emperor's offer," grumbled Alice.

"While one has to question the former emperor's wisdom, how does that make Ron an idiot?" questioned Thomas. "What Vilisik said is right, how better to get a nation's support than for one of us to rule the nation?"

"But we don't need just one nation to stand against the Archfiend. If it were that easy, we would be done here. Now we're a man short on the rest of our journey," argued Alice.

Thomas decided to drop the argument. "Where's Susie?" he changed the topic.

"Talking to that his Numskullness, I think," replied Alice.

* * *

"Are you done playing around here?" asked Suzanne.

"Is that any way to address an emperor?" asked Ron.

Suzanne gave Ron an angry look and he replied, "Hey, I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Look, you gotta get me out of here!"

"Is that throne uncomfortable? Maybe you could make it law that all thrones will have an ample supply of pillows," countered Suzanne.

"Come on, Susie! It sucks being emperor! They won't let me out of the sight of the guards, and they won't let me practice fighting or go to the bar or anything!" Ron complained. "But I can't just step down or this place won't have a ruler. I have to name a successor."

"Fine, I'll find the old emperor and get him to take the throne back. Since this is really formal business, it'll probably help if I had a message from the emperor to prove I'm not trying to stage a coup or anything," said Suzanne.

"Thanks Susie, you're the best," thanked Ron.

Ron wrote an official message stating his wishes to give the throne back to Vilisik and Suzanne went off to find the man. She also got Thomas and Alice in on the search. Unfortunately, their search did not go well. They checked libraries, inns, shops, and just about every other public building they could think of, but there was no sign of the former emperor.

"Did you try the fight ring?" asked Ron, the next day when the rest of group told him of their lack of success.

"Why would he be at the fight ring?" asked Suzanne.

Ron shrugged, "Watching vicious monster fights and gambling. It's the first place I'd go after so many years of having to sit here all day."

"That's nice Ron but this man is an emperor," said Alice impatiently.

"Correction: used to be emperor," Thomas said.

"Whatever!" Alice yelled. "Point is, this guy has a bit more class than you do Ron."

"Then again, he certainly hasn't behaved like typical royalty so far," observed Suzanne.

Thomas nodded, "And Ron does make an interesting point. The man has led a very formal life for as long as he's been on the throne. I think anybody would be itching for some action when they got the chance."

The group adjourned from their audience with Emperor Ron and waited until nightfall, when the fight ring was at its busiest. The place was packed to see a big fight that was scheduled for the night. The three split up and searched for Vilisik. It was Alice who managed to find the man.

When Alice walked over to talk to the former emperor, he spoke to her first, "The common people have it good indeed! I never knew gambling was so much fun!"

"Your Majesty, I – " Alice began.

"You forget, I am no longer the emperor. You can call me Vilisik now," the former emperor replied.

"Vilisik," Alice began again, "You have to take your throne back. Susie has a note from Ron – "

"Emperor Ron, you mean," cut in Vilisik.

"Okay, Susie has a note from Emperor Ron saying he'll give the throne back to you," Alice said, getting frustrated.

"Bah, that's not necessary. He'll make a fine emperor." Vilisik replied.

Alice was very frustrated now. "He doesn't know the first thing about being a ruler!" she yelled at Vilisik.

Vilisik laughed, "He has plenty of advisors and supporters. They'll show him how it's done."

"But shouldn't somebody more experienced have the job? The people don't want to have to break in a new emperor!" Alice protested.

"I'm sure he's doing a fine job," Vilisik said. The ex-ruler began to walk away.

Alice grabbed Vilisik and spun him back around to face her. "But we can't have him on the throne! We need him to come with us and talk to all the people from all the other nations! We're a man down now without him!" Alice shouted at him.

"All it is with you is, 'But, but, but.' You can find another warrior to fill his spot. He'll be happy supporting you on the throne." Vilisik said, now getting frustrated himself.

"No he won't! He doesn't want to be emperor!" Alice said.

"Of course he does, why would he have accepted the position if he didn't want to be emperor?" Vilisik asked.

"He didn't know what it'd be like. And he thought it would really help us out. Truth is, he hates it there and we need him with us!" Alice explained.

Vilisik thought for a moment and then sighed. "Well I won't have him keep doing something he dislikes. I'll take the crown from him in the morning. Just let me see this fight tonight. A four-way battle: a poison toad, a giant caterpillar, a spiked hare, as we call them here, and a demon anteater! Everyone's betting on the caterpillar but I'm putting my money on the poison toad for the major upset!"

* * *

The three went to the inn for the night, satisfied that they would have Ron back soon. They were given a sudden wake up call in the morning.

"Thank you guys!" Ron shouted at the top of his lungs. Alice woke up so violently that she fell off the bed she was on and Suzanne bolted upright in her bed. Oddly enough, Thomas was unfazed by the noise, still sleeping soundly in his bed.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ron exclaimed as he lifted Alice up and gave her a hug. Alice angrily shoved him back but Ron, unfazed, went on to hug Suzanne.

"If I had to sign one more paper or look over one more hare-brained law, I was going to go crazy!" Ron continued, now shaking Thomas awake and hugging him, only to be pushed away by him as well.

"Couldn't you have waited until we woke up?" Alice muttered grumpily.

"I've got too much energy pent up to allow that!" Ron replied.

Suzanne smiled at his energy. "It's good to have you back, Ron."

"A shame though. I think he was more useful on the throne," Thomas mumbled. Suzanne and Alice laughed.

"Hey! I'll have you know I've got some important information!" Ron said indignantly. "We may soon have another nation supporting our cause. The desert kingdom of Isis to south is an ally of the Romalian Empire. Emperor Vilisik gave me a message for the queen and said we should pay her a visit."

"Wait, for the queen?" asked Suzanne.

"Yeah, apparently Isis is ruled by a queen," explained Ron.

Suzanne could not help but smile. "A human nation ruled by a queen. It'll be nice to be in a nation without sexism that isn't angry at us for no reason."

Alice laughed, "You must have been pissed when the emperor told you that you couldn't rule because you're female! You probably wanted the job!"

"No, it wasn't like that. Though, I was a bit surprised he said that to me at all. Ron is the leader of the group after all," Suzanne said.

The rest of the group gave her funny looks. "Um, you do realize that's not true, right?" said Ron. "You've been running this group since before we got to the empire."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so pushy," apologized Suzanne.

The rest of the group shook their heads. "No, no, no, you deserve to be leader Susie!" Ron said. "You definitely know more about battle tactics than I do. Remember our fight against Kandar? We probably would have lost without you directing us!"

"Yeah, and you're a lot better at talking with important people than we are," said Alice. "Plus, this guy here only leads us into ambushes!"

"That happened one time! Susie has led us into ambushes too!" Ron protested.

"Yeah but those were because of cleverness on our opponents' parts. You were just being dumb!" Alice shot back.

As the two began to bicker, Suzanne turned to Thomas, "You don't mind me being leader, do you?"

"Not at all. You're definitely the best for the job," Thomas said. "Though you need some work on keeping the group from infighting, by the looks of it."

Suzanne and Thomas both laughed as Alice started running after Ron trying to hit him. "I'm not a miracle worker," said Suzanne.

* * *

Author's note: A shorter chapter to follow a long one. Please review if you have the time.


	9. Chapter 8: Following in the Footsteps

Chapter 8: Following in the Footsteps

"Do you guys realize how long we've been at this?" asked Alice.

"This is the third day, isn't it?" asked Suzanne. "It hasn't been that long of a trip."

"No, not this trip, I mean our whole journey, since we got permission from the king to break the seal on Aliahan," said Alice.

"We've been in the empire for about a month and a half," replied Ron. "And it took about two weeks for us to break the seal and get here. So I guess it's been two months already."

"This is our 64th day, to be exact," corrected Alice.

After a brief pause to figure out the date, Suzanne came to a realization, "Tom, isn't your birthday in two days?"

Thomas grumbled something unintelligible at the mention of the day.

Alice shook her head at Thomas' reaction, "Tom, you are too young to be dreading your birthday already."

"Just another year closer to death," Thomas grumbled.

Ron laughed gave Thomas a nice pat on the shoulder, "What is it, your 18th? I think you've still got some years left in you. Hey, here's an idea. Assaram is supposed to be a pretty happening place. Why don't we take a day off and celebrate? We'll arrive midday tomorrow, so we can get done what we need to and have the whole next day."

"Not to belittle Tom's birthday, but you know we're working against the clock right?" Suzanne asked.

"Come on, Susie! As our living calendar just told us, we've been hard at work for over two months! A single day isn't going to make much of a difference," Ron protested.

"I have to agree, I think we could use a day off," said Alice.

"Guys, we've got some large creatures ahead!" Thomas warned.

In the distance the group could see two large creatures making their way towards them. The creatures were covered in red-orange fur. They had arms and legs, but crawled around on their arms as much as they did on their legs.

"Those things are huge!" exclaimed Ron.

"I've read about such creatures before," began Alice. "They're called apes. But I swear the books didn't say they'd be that big!"

"Well it's not like we haven't fought giant monster versions of animals before," said Suzanne.

Suddenly, Thomas tackled Suzanne to the ground just before a brown almost man-sized flying creature could hit her. As the creature swooped back around, the group could see that it was a large cat that had wings between its arms and legs.

"Ron, we're going to have to hold off the apes! Thomas and Alice, you keep the flyer off our backs!" ordered Suzanne.

Ron and Suzanne met the apes with their weapons. Both of them dealt solid slices to the creatures, but the apes had great endurance. Ron narrowly ducked under a swipe from his foe while Suzanne was sent flying after being caught by her opponent.

Thomas and Alice kept their attention on the flying cat. The cat stayed in the air out of Thomas' reach while it prepared a spell. Alice was also preparing a spell but unfortunately, the cat finished its spell first. The group was once again engulfed in the strange energy waves of a spell-stopping spell.

"Damn it!" Alice yelled, after finishing her spell only to have it contained by the cat's spell.

The cat swooped down and charged at Alice. She threw herself to the ground but still took a bite to the shoulder. However, the cat made itself vulnerable in going to the ground. Thomas gave the creature a slice to its own shoulder before it could retreat back to the air. It almost fell to the ground but managed to regain its altitude.

After taking a blow to the leg from the ape he was fighting, Ron stabbed the creature square in the chest. He quickly got out of the way as the large being fell to the ground dead. Suzanne managed to roll under her opponent and crawl on its back. Before the creature could throw Suzanne off, she stabbed her foe in the head. She quickly jumped off as the creature fell and made sure it was dead before moving on.

Thomas watched the flying cat carefully as it circled above. Suddenly, the creature came down hard on Thomas. Thomas jumped to meet the cat and caught its claws to his midsection. However, he was rewarded when he stuck his sickle through its back and out its front. Both combatants fell to the ground. Alice quickly ran over and finished the creature with her knife.

After the fight, Thomas quickly made his rounds healing the group of their wounds. Everyone had taken a good hit in the melee.

"Damn those things can hit hard," complained Ron.

"I hate when monsters seal spells!" Alice chipped in.

"They made a good team," observed Suzanne. "The apes for the main combat force and the flying cat for support."

"If monsters keep working together like that, our journey is going to get a lot tougher," said Thomas.

"Could this be the power of the Archfiend?" asked Ron.

"We're still a good distance away from southern Tarasia, where Emperor Vilisik said it's set up shop," explained Alice. "Though I suppose it's possible its influence extends a good distance from there."

* * *

The group made it to the trading town of Assaram midway through the next day. Assaram was a prosperous town on the border of the Romalian Empire and the Kingdom of Isis. Since the two nations enjoyed a friendly alliance, Assaram had grown on the business the two had with each other. Although technically within the empire, Assaram featured citizens from both nations. Besides that, Isis even had a hand in making laws and policies in Assaram.

The main reason the group had planned on stopping in Assaram was to buy new equipment. In their recent adventures within the empire, the group had accumulated a good sum of money. Assaram offered top-notch goods from both nations, though at a high price. Besides that, Suzanne was curious about what she heard in Noaniels about her father. She wanted to investigate what he had done in Assaram.

The group decided to split up for the rest of the day. Ron and Alice went through the equipment shops looking for good deals.

"You've got some experience in negotiating prices right?" Ron asked.

"Of course. I always found all the best deals back in Aliahan," Alice bragged.

"Good. Apparently, the shop keepers here try to take people on a ride. From what I've heard, we could spend all the money we've gotten on a single piece of equipment," Ron explained.

Alice laughed, "There were some merchants like that in Aliahan too. Remember Bill?"

At the mention of Bill's name, Ron laughed as well, "Oh come on. Bill is an extreme case. That man's one love is gold."

"I wouldn't mind seeing Bill again. Hey maybe we should spend our day off in Aliahan and celebrate Tom's birthday with him. It'd only take a couple of teleportation spells to make the round trip," Alice suggested.

"I don't think so. Tom was never fond of Bill. You can ask him if you want though," Ron said.

Alice shook her head, "Nah, I think I'll try not to piss him off today or tomorrow."

The two came to an equipment vendor who gave them a grand smile at their approach. "Ah, my good friends! Welcome to my store! I'm sure you will find what you need here!" the man greeted enthusiastically.

"Find something you want, but don't act like you want it," Alice whispered to Ron.

The man had some excellent pieces of equipment for sale. Ron saw a large axe displayed behind the counter and asked to see it. The man pulled out an axe he had chained to the counter and allowed Ron to look at it. Ron looked at the craftsmanship of the axe and gave it a couple small practice swings. Although Ron was impressed with the axe, he made sure not to let the shopkeeper know. Ron whispered his opinion to Alice and Alice began to deal.

"This isn't too bad a weapon. It's a little slower and duller than what we're used to, but it's some of the best we've seen so far around here. What's the price?" Alice asked.

"You've got good eyes, miss! That is a fine weapon indeed. And for only 10,000 gold, this piece of fine craftsmanship can be yours, my friends!" the shopkeeper replied eagerly.

Alice gave the man an eyebrow and said, "I don't have the best sense of humor. I ask again, what is the price?"

The man laughed at Alice's reply, "Yes, yes, yes. Sorry for the jest. Its real price is 6,000 gold."

Now it was Alice who laughed, "For this? Really? We've bought far better weapons than this for far less."

"I assure you, my friend, that is a fair price for such a fine piece of equipment. But since you are my good friends, I'll lower the price. 4,000," the man replied, beginning to sound less eager and happy than he did a few seconds ago.

Alice motioned for Ron to put the axe down and to start leaving. "I can see there's no reasoning with you. We'll be on our way," she said.

"Wait, wait!" yelled the merchant. "You know if I lower the price any more, I'll lose money!" When Alice and Ron started to turn around again, the merchant stopped them, "Wait! You are my wonderful friends. I'll let you have it for 2,500."

Alice thought about the offer for a little bit and then answered, "Fine, we'll take it." She got out the money and paid the man. The man went into his back room and brought out another axe. After Ron made sure it was of the same quality of the one the man let him examine, the two went on their way.

* * *

"Well, nobody here has heard of Ortega either. I wonder if he did ever come here after that key?" Suzanne said, after she and Thomas had asked around at their third pub of the day.

"I'm sorry miss, did you mention someone coming here over a key?" asked a man at the next table.

"Yes. His name was Ortega, have you heard of him?" Suzanne asked the man.

The man shook his head, "Name doesn't ring a bell. But I might still be able to help. Was he after a magic key?"

"That's what I heard," answered Suzanne.

"We used to have a fellow or two come here looking for a magic key. Not here though. It's in the pyramid in the kingdom of Isis," said the man.

"What's the pyramid?" asked Suzanne.

"It's a great structure that the people built to bury dead rulers in. That's all I know," answered the man.

"Hmm, thank you for the information," said Suzanne.

"That's rather convenient," said Thomas. "It seems that your father's next destination may have been on our way."

"Yeah," answered Suzanne. "It's kind of funny really. It's almost like we're retracing his steps."

"That bothers you, doesn't it?" Thomas asked.

Suzanne sighed, "It does. As far as we've ever heard, my father never met with much success. He hardly ever got to talk to any leaders and usually only got laughed and scorned by other people. Much like how we were treated in the elven territory. If we're going down the same path he is, will we meet with any more success?"

"You forget, we've already met with more success. The Romalian Empire has already promised to support us on our cause, even promoted one of us to its leader for a time. By the sounds of it, the Kingdom of Isis will also agree with us," Thomas said.

Suzanne shook her head, "But we've seen how Emperor Vilisik acts. He's young and, as we've seen, sometimes foolish. Isis is a desert country made of towns and villages that often can only survive, much less prosper. And we still know very little about the Archfiend. But by the looks of how monsters have been behaving, its powers are already affecting lands far away from its land."

"You're right. We've made a step towards our goal, but it's only a step. We've got a long ways to go and who knows if we'll be successful in the end. But that doesn't mean we should give up. The key to finishing a big task is often to think of one step at a time, rather than look ahead and see how much still needs to be done," Thomas explained.

Suzanne smiled, "Thanks for the pep talk. If you don't mind me saying, that's a lot more positive than how you usually see things."

"Not really," Thomas argued. "I've always had respect for life. That is essentially what our journey is. Just as our task may seem long and bleak, so is life. All life ends eventually. At the worst times, we wonder what the point is. Many wise men have tried to answer that question. But one things sure, we can always accomplish things before the end. That's just like our journey. We may be doomed to fail, but we can still do some good before that happens."

* * *

The group was outfitted with new equipment by the end of day. Suzanne and Ron got full plate armor and iron helmets, along with the axe Ron got and a new broadsword for Suzanne. Thomas also got a new iron helmet and an iron spear. The group spent the next day as planned celebrating Thomas' birthday. To Ron's dismay, the group did not go to see Assaram's belly-dancing girls.

The group went southwest towards the Great Isis Desert. It was a day and a half's trip to get to the desert. The group found the heat of the desert to be difficult to travel in. They made sure to pack a great amount of water for the journey.

"My goodness, I've never felt such heat!" exclaimed Alice.

"That's funny, because I wasn't aware you were walking around encased in metal," replied Ron.

"Hey, you've got padding in your armor! It's not like the hot metal is touching your skin!" retorted Alice.

"Because not feeling the hot metal directly on the skin means that it doesn't make the person any hotter of course," said Ron.

Suzanne decided to put a slight change on the subject, "Actually, this reminds me of the heat wave we had two years ago."

"Thanks for the reminder," said Thomas. "I got a crash course on how to deal with heat stroke that year."

"Uh, we've got something guys!" warned Ron.

Suddenly, four huge green crabs unearthed themselves out of the sand. Three of them lunged for the group and were met by the blades of Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas. All three struck their targets, but found the creatures' tough natural armor difficult to get past. Thomas' attack was completely turned aside while Suzanne and Ron managed minor hits on their foes.

Alice finished casting her stronger stream of fire spell on the creatures. The two wounded by Suzanne and Ron fell dead while the one that hung back took serious burns. However, the one Thomas failed to wound took the flames on its armor and did not appear hurt at all. The one that hung back finished a spell of its own and both its friend and itself were engulfed in a bright yellow light.

"They've enhanced their armor!" yelled Alice, recognizing the spell. Ron ran at the wounded crab and tried to finish it, only to find his blade turned aside. Suzanne and Thomas stopped the unwounded one from going at Alice, but Thomas got caught by the creature's pincer on the arm. Both Suzanne and Thomas were unable to harm the beast.

Alice sent a bolt of ice at the wounded one, finishing it. Thomas disengaged from the beast and cast a spell of his own, engulfing the creature in a purple light. The creature could now be harmed again, as Ron and Suzanne combined to finish it. After the fight, Thomas went on his routine healing trip among the group.

"Damn those creatures were invincible after they cast that spell!" Ron said.

"Not if you've got magic on your side," said Alice.

Suzanne looked at the creatures and came up with an idea, "Thomas, next time we see those things you should see if you can seal their magic. They're tough to harm even without that spell, but at least they still can be."

"That is assuming they can be affected by that spell," replied Thomas. "That one took no damage from Alice's spell."

"It got lucky," said Alice indignantly.

* * *

"I am Queen Calasta of the Kingdom of Isis. I thank you for delivering to me the message from Emperor Vilisik of the Romalian Empire. From that message I have read that you four have a request for me and my kingdom," greeted the queen.

"We do, your Majesty," replied Suzanne. "I'm guessing you've heard of the Archfiend?"

After the queen nodded, Suzanne continued, "We are trying to forge a coalition between the human nations. We all know the history and legends of Archfiends in the past. Only through cooperation can we conquer this threat. Emperor Vilisik has already agreed to such an arrangement. Will you join such a group?"

"A hallow question," answered the queen. "We share a border with the Archfiend. We have heard of what the monster has done to southern Tarasia. We are allies with the Romalian Empire. Their enemies are ours. Their coalition is also ours. But for the sake of formality, yes, we shall join this coalition."

"We did not mean to offend, your Majesty," Suzanne apologized.

"No, it is I who must apologize. So many assume that I am on this throne because of my beauty. But what becomes of such beauty, that will only rot away? I can see that you are not one of these that think so," said Queen Calasta.

"We thank you, your Majesty. Is there some way we can repay you?" asked Suzanne.

The queen thought about Suzanne's offer and then answered, "Continue your journey. Rally others to this cause. You are right. Only through cooperation can we conquer this threat."

* * *

"I heard from a man in Assaram about a structure in Isis called the pyramid. Could you show me where I can find a book on it?" asked Thomas.

Suzanne and Thomas were once again on the search for rumors and news of Ortega's journey. Suzanne had decided to talk to people in the local gathering places while Thomas went to the library.

"You're one of those treasure hunters I'm guessing?" asked the librarian. "That place has been looted out of everything it once had. The only things you'll find are traps and monsters."

Thomas glared at the librarian, "No, I'm not a treasure hunter. One of my friends' fathers was on a journey. We've been trying to find out what he did on his journey."

"So he was a treasure hunter?" asked the librarian.

Thomas was angry now, "No. He probably decided he needed the key for his journey, to get past magical barriers."

"Magical barriers that protect treasure vaults?" asked the librarian.

"You know what, never mind!" yelled Thomas. "I'll find the damned book myself!"

* * *

"That pyramid's been looted so many times, I'm surprised any treasure hunters come around here anymore," said the bard.

Suzanne was talking with a bard hanging around the oasis that went through the castle town. One of the reasons that the castle town had been built where it was and had grown prosperous was the oasis. It gave water to people living in an area otherwise scarce for water. Besides going for water, people often liked to hang around the oasis.

"If it's a treasure you want, you should look for the Meteorite Armband. It greatly enhances the speed of whoever wears it," continued the bard.

"I'm not a treasure hunter. I was wondering if a man named Ortega ever came around this region," explained Suzanne.

The bard shook his head, "I've never heard of anyone named Ortega. I'm sorry."

* * *

"Everything's going well now. Two nations have agreed to join their forces!" exclaimed Alice.

"Well, Isis was practically a given. Like the queen pointed out, she really had very little choice. Our next destination will not be so easy to convince. Portoga and Romaly do not share good realtions. Emperor Vilisik's endorsement could actually work against us," answered Ron.

"We don't have to tell the ruler of Portoga that we have the emperor on our side," pointed out Suzanne.

Thomas shook his head, "Because he's so much more likely to listen to us without some form of credentials."

"We'll have to worry about all that later. Just getting to Portoga could be difficult. The border between the two countries is closed off. No ships go between the two either," said Ron.

The group journeyed to the Romaly-Portoga border. They came to a small building on the river that served as part of the border. As they entered, they found one guard on duty. He was wearing the golden armor of the empire, but was sitting at a desk doing paperwork. He paid no attention to the four as they came in. Suzanne went up to him to get his attention.

"Excuse me, we were hoping we could go to Portoga," she said.

The man didn't even look up as he replied, "Rule is, if you can get through the door, you can go to Portoga." He gestured to the door to his right.

"Um, I guess the border is less closed off than I thought," said Ron.

The group went up to the door and tried to turn the handle, only to find it was locked.

"Perhaps it is somewhat closed off," pointed out Alice. "Too bad we have this."

Alice pulled out Baker's key and went at the door. However, the door refused to budge. She tried every button and mechanism on the key, but the door remained locked and closed.

"You're wasting your time," said the guard, who still had not looked up at the group. "You can't pick that lock no matter what you do. That door's magically sealed. You'd need a lockpick or key with some magic in it."

"A key with some magic in it," said Suzanne thoughtfully.

"What did you find out about your dad and that key he was looking for?" asked Ron.

"Apparently it's in something called the pyramid in Isis. That's all I know," answered Suzanne.

Thomas scoffed when he heard about it, "But I guess there's been a lot of people looting the pyramid. It's probably not there anymore."

"Well, we've got to do something. Maybe we can ask Queen Calasta if she knows anything. If it is still there, we can get permission to get the key at the same time," Alice suggested.

"Damn it. Here we are going off to all this trouble for a simple key again," complained Ron.

* * *

Author's Note: I really hate Infernus Crabs. Please review if you get the time.


	10. Chapter 9: Close Call

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 9: Close Call

"The round button is the button of the sun," sung Alice. "Open the door with the small button. Oh, which to try? Oh, which to test? First to the east, then to the west."

Alice was wondering through the numerous halls and rooms of Castle Isis, content to simply explore the castle. As she wondered, she found herself singing songs she had heard from the castle's children earlier that day. The songs were apparently nursery rhymes passed down through the generations of the desert people.

The hall Alice was currently in did not have any people in it. Alice had found it hidden between the trees and the wall of the castle courtyard. Apparently not an area found by many and not having appeared on any map Alice had seen of the castle, Alice could not resist going inside.

Earlier that day, the four had talks again with Queen Calasta who had agreed to allow the group to search the pyramid for the magic key. The queen's only conditions were that the group disturb only what they had to, leave behind anything they found other than the key, and immediately leave the pyramid after their goal was accomplished. Even with this, the queen did not seem pleased to allow the group into the pyramid.

The rest of the group was out preparing for the trek through the pyramid, which was to be a dangerous trip considering the monsters and traps said to be inside the structure. Alice had been tasked with studying maps of the pyramid, with the hope that she would find information on the traps within. Unfortunately, no maps of the structure remained in the castle library and there was also no information on what traps they would find inside. Once again, the group would go blind into a dangerous area.

Alice had now descended into a basement and found herself at some sort of small shrine. The area was decorated with golden torches and in the middle of them was another staircase going down. More than a little intrigued, Alice went down the stairs only to find a simple room with a chest in the middle. Although she knew it would be best for her not to touch anything stored in the castle without permission, she went up to the chest to see why it was stored in such a place. Inside she found a beautiful gold armband, decorated with emeralds all around. She marveled at its work.

As she examined the armband, she was suddenly given the feeling that she was not alone. She looked up to see a person in front of her, a man wearing the fine robes of a ruler. She quickly hid the armband behind her back as the figure, as it was semi-transparent, floated over to her.

"Was it you who disturbed my slumber?" asked the figure in a sorrowful voice.

Alice was more than a little afraid. If the figure decided to attack her, she did not know if she could take it down on her own. Nevertheless she nodded her head in response to its question.

"Was it also you who took the contents of this chest?" asked the figure.

Alice paused for a second than slowly showed the armband to the figure. The figure looked at the armband and started to laugh. The figure's laugh sent chills down Alice's spine and she wondered if it was about to attack.

"You are honest. I give it to you then," said the figure, no longer sounding sorrowful but now sounding happy. The figure than slowly faded away.

Alice stood dumbfounded on the spot for a few seconds. After a while, she finally left the room and went to tell the others what had happened.

* * *

"I'm just saying I don't think it's fair," complained Ron.

Ron was protesting the fact that Alice got in very little trouble for taking one of the castle's treasures. After her run-in with the spirit, Alice had told the group what happened and she and Suzanne both went to the queen to return the item. However, the queen stated that since the spirit, who was once a great ruler of Isis, gave the armband to Alice than she could keep it and do with it what she wished. It turned out that the armband was the Meteorite Armband that Suzanne had heard about.

Ron continued to protest the situation, "I mean, if it had been me, I would have gotten tongue-lashed by you guys and the queen probably would have made me give the thing back."

Unfortunately for Thomas, he was the one Ron had decided to complain to. "When was the last time either I or Suzanne yelled at you?" he asked.

"Okay fine. You guys don't yell at me. But the hypocritical adventurer over there always yells at me for doing things that aren't even as bad as this! When was the last time I looted a castle's storeroom?" Ron answered.

"Then why don't you take your complaint up with her?" asked Thomas irritably.

"She'll say this is completely different and then just start yelling at me," said Ron. "I don't see how this is different at all myself, but I'm not about to get into an argument over it."

Ron and Thomas were a few steps behind Suzanne and Alice as they made their way to the pyramid. According to the castle maps, the pyramid was almost directly north for just over a day's journey. After preparing for the journey, the group had set off the day after asking Queen Calasta for permission to go in.

"Ron, get up here!" Suzanne called. "We've got company!"

Ron and Thomas caught up with the other two and drew their weapons. Suzanne and Alice already had theirs drawn. In front of the group were two giant caterpillars, much like the ones they had fought around Romaly. However, these caterpillars were red in color.

Ron and Suzanne met the two caterpillars and gave them deep cuts with their weapons. Ron's opponent slashed him across the torso with its dagger-like legs. Suzanne's foe reared back and then unleashed a blast of hot gas on the four, which burned them as though they had been hit by a fireball. Alice finished the gas-breather with a bolt of ice while Thomas helped Ron finish his foe. The battle was over in a few seconds.

"That gas the one breathed was pretty hot," observed Thomas. "It was almost as like being burned by a fire."

"Flamapedes are what they call them," explained Alice. "They spit out hot gas when threatened. It makes them dangerous because they can effectively attack several opponents at once."

"We'll have to watch for them from now on," said Ron.

* * *

As the group neared the pyramid, they were all amazed at the structure. It was in the shape of a rectangular pyramid and was very large.

"It's going to take a long time to search this," muttered Ron.

"Well then we better get a move on," said Suzanne.

The group proceeded up the stairs to the first level of the pyramid. They stepped inside a hallway which led them to a fork, with passages to the left and right and with the hallway continuing ahead. As the group went into the middle of the passageway, the floor suddenly gave out beneath them. Everyone but Alice, who had been at the back of the group, fell down inside a pit.

"What the!" Alice yelled. "Are you guys okay down there?"

As the rest of the group got to their feet Suzanne yelled back up. "We're fine. It's some sort of trap door. Luckily there weren't any spikes down here to catch us."

"Yeah, if these are the traps we have to worry about, they won't be more than a nuisance. I've got the rope here so we can get back up." Ron said, as he started to dig through his pack.

"Wait a moment on that," said Suzanne. "For all we know, the key is down here. Alice, could you join us?"

"Oh sure Susie. But I'll have to use a bit more style on my descent," answered Alice. She readied a spell and jumped as she finished. The spell slowed her descent, so that she floated towards the bottom floor at the speed of a feather. However, as she cleared the trap door, she suddenly accelerated and fell to the ground.

The rest of the group could not help but laugh at Alice's fall. "That's a lot of style right there," Ron observed.

"Hmph. This isn't a time to laugh. I feel a familiar blocking feeling here. Magic is sealed in this area," said Alice.

"She's right, I feel it too," said Thomas. He rummaged through his pack and pulled out some medicinal herbs and handed them to the rest of the group. "I won't be able to heal everyone efficiently down here."

The group had found themselves in a large room with several skeletons strewn throughout. Trying to ignore the unsettling scene, they searched the room and did not find anything. There were two small hallways leading out of the room through which could be seen other rooms. As they proceeded to the next room, they were greeted by four strange beings. The things looked like shadows of a winged creature with no lower torso that had somehow risen up from the floor.

"What the hell are these things!" asked Ron as he ran at one of them. Suzanne and Thomas assisted his charge while Alice stayed back with her knife ready. Suzanne and Ron each struck one of the things and were relieved to feel their weapons hit solid matter. The two shadow creatures dissipated at their attacks. Thomas struck a third one but this one offered much more resistance, his spear was turned aside as though the creature had strong armor on. The creature formed a pincer like appendage and struck him in the shoulder.

The one that had not been touched yet breathed a purple gas at the group. Everyone but Ron fell asleep. Ron rushed the one that breathed the gas and took it down. He then got hit in the back by the one with the pincer. He spun around and struck at the creature, but was amazed to find this one had an armor-like resistance to his attack as his blade clanged off it. The creature tried to strike him again but he blocked it with his shield.

By this time, both Suzanne and Thomas had woken up. The three ganged up on the creature and finished it. After a little while, Alice woke up.

"Do you know what those things were?" asked Suzanne.

"Shadows. They have the ability to mimic other creatures," answered Alice.

"That would explain why each was so different from the other," said Ron. "The first two went down easily, then the one breathed that sleeping gas like the mushrooms back in the elf cave. And that last one must have been mimicking those damned crabs."

The group continued to search the basement. They found the basement was organized into a collection of four large rooms with small hallways between them. They also met several more shadows in the basement, and dealt with them carefully. The group found they had to improvise a couple times as the shadows pulled out surprising moves on them. Luckily, many of the shadows mimicked apparently weak enemies.

In the southwest room, the group found two different exits. One was a descending staircase and the other a passageway. The group tried the staircase first only to find their way blocked by a door. Like the door on the Romaly-Portoga border, this door could not be opened with Baker's Key. The group proceeded down the passageway and found a staircase leading up. They found themselves just outside the ground level of the pyramid.

"That blocked feeling is gone," observed Alice. "We're out of the magic seal."

"And about back where we began," said Ron.

The group returned to the main entrance and went down the same hallway they went before. When they got to the pit they fell in, they saw that it had reset itself back to where they could no longer tell where it was. Remembering that it covered the middle of the room, the group made sure to hug the walls as they went down the passage to the left. As they entered another room, they found four large frogs hanging around the place. These frogs had reddish-brown skin.

"Company!" yelled Ron.

The frogs quickly took notice of the team's presence and two of them leapt to attack. With the speed given to her by the Meteorite Armband, Alice reacted first and sent a stream of fire at the frogs, burning all of them. Ron and Suzanne finished off the two that came at them, though Ron took a blow to the leg. The two still at the back had been chanting spells and finished them. Two purple clouds appeared over the party and all four were sent to sleep.

Thomas woke up to a pain as one of the creatures was hitting him as he slept. He quickly picked up his spear and ran the creature through. He then went over and finished off the last frog which had been picking on Alice.

Thomas tended to the group's wounds as they woke up. Both himself and Alice had apparently been hit more than once while asleep but the damage was not too bad.

"Geez, how many things here are going to put us to sleep?" Alice complained.

"That could have been bad," Suzanne observed. "We all got sent down that time. We're lucky these things weren't very tough."

The group found there was a chest in the room the frogs had been in. They checked the chest to find it was empty.

"Must've been the looters that librarian was so pissed off about," muttered Thomas.

They went to the room across from the one they were in, once again making sure to stay out of the middle of the room with the fork in it, and came to another room with another empty chest. They walked back to the trapdoor room and went north, which led them to a room almost identical to the one with the trapdoor. Ron decided to test the area for a trapdoor and found himself falling back down to the floor below. The group was prepared this time as they used the rope Ron had to get him back up.

The group proceeded to the left and found themselves in a chamber shaped like a trident. Each prong of the room had a chest at the end of it. The group went up to the chest on the left and opened it. They found the chest had teeth-like rims on the inside of the opening part, making it seem like it had a mouth. They were surprised to see a couple of eyes looking at them from inside the chest and for it to slam itself shut, almost taking Ron's arm with it.

"Look out! It's a monster!" warned Suzanne.

Suzanne and Ron quickly got out their weapons while Alice sent a bolt of ice at the chest-creature. The creature shrugged the spell off and charged at Ron, biting through his armor and dealing a terrible wound to his side. Ron struggled to stay standing after the blow but returned with one of his own the creature's top. Suzanne contributed a blow to its hinge. Thomas sent a group of three beacons of light at Ron to heal his injuries, a stronger healing spell than what Thomas had been using. Ron's injuries were so deep that he was still bleeding, however.

As the creature came at Ron again, Suzanne struck it at the hinge again while Alice sent a stream of fire at it. Ron was about to take another vicious bite when he manage to swing his axe into the opening the chest made, right at the eyes that showed inside. He apparently hit the creature's weak point, for the creature split in half and fell to the ground unmoving. After making sure it was dead, Thomas finished healing Ron's wounds.

"That thing was horrifically strong," said Thomas. "I used my stronger healing spell, and your wounds were still serious."

"That must be one of the traps we were warned of," said Suzanne. "This just got a lot tougher. We have to be extra careful when opening chests now."

The group proceeded to the next prong, the middle one, and carefully approached the chest lying at the end of it. This time, the whole group had their weapons drawn, ready for an attack. As Ron carefully opened it, they once again saw teeth rims and eyes inside the creature. Ron quickly withdrew his hand and struck the top of the creature with his axe. Suzanne struck at the creature's hinge again. Thomas joined in this time and struck the creature's bottom while Alice sent a stream of fire at it.

The creature leapt at Suzanne as Suzanne readied another strike. Suzanne tried to aim for the eyes in the middle but was shocked as the creature's sharp teeth closed around her arm, going through her armor and skin as though they were not there. The creature ripped Suzanne's arm clean off from her torso. Suzanne screamed in pain and dropped to the ground.

"Susie!" screamed the rest of the group. As the creature spat out Suzanne's arm, Thomas sent a healing spell at Susie. However, the spell was not strong enough to mend Suzanne's arm. Alice sent another stream of fire at the creature while Ron finished it off with a blow to its hinge, once again sending it to the ground in pieces.

Thomas went up to Suzanne and tried to tend to her injury but to no avail. "Someone grab her arm! Alice, we need to get to the castle, quick!" he yelled.

Ron picked up her arm while Alice started on the spells to get them out of the pyramid.

* * *

As Thomas came out of the castle's healing room, covered in blood, Ron and Alice watched him with great anticipation.

"She's really lucky," he said. "Not only will she live, but they were able to reattach her arm. With magical care and bed rest, she'll likely make a full recovery in about a week."

Ron and Alice both gave great sighs of relief. "Can we see her?" Alice asked.

"She's resting now," said Thomas. "They don't want anybody in there to get her riled up. She should be able to take visitors tomorrow." With that, he walked away, most likely to get washed up and changed.

The next day Ron and Alice went as early as they could to go visit Suzanne. Oddly, Thomas was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Susie, how are you feeling?" asked Alice.

"A lot better than I look, I'm guessing," Suzanne answered cheerfully. "It still hurts to move my arm, but at least it's there! The clerics say I should be in fighting shape in a few days."

"Show how tough our fearless leader is!" Ron beamed. "Has her arm severed and still is just itching to get back out in the field!"

"Say, where's Thomas?" asked Suzanne.

The mention of Thomas' name instantly made Alice's mood sour. "Don't even mention that jackass! I'm sure he purposely ditched visiting you to go read or something!"

"Don't say it like that Alice," said Suzanne. "You know he probably took this more seriously than anyone. If he is reading, he's probably studying up on every healing spell he can find to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Alice was not convinced, "Don't defend him! He should be here and you know it!"

Ron shook his head, "No, Suzanne is right. Remember that first time I got poisoned? He actually came up to talk to me after that. Not to chew me out, like I thought he would, but to apologize. When we get injured beyond his ability to heal, he feels responsible."

Alice still was not entirely convinced, but decided to let the subject drop. "So what are you allowed to do today?" she asked.

Suzanne laughed, "Not much more than what I am right now, really. I'm surprised I'm even allowed to talk to people!"

Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards, "Well hopefully you're allowed to play a game of cards. I just happened to bring some with me here."

The week went by slowly as the group waited for Suzanne to heal. After the first couple days, she was allowed out of bed, though her arm was in a sling. A few days after that she was allowed to get rid of her sling and use her arm sparingly. She decided to go for a walk through town, and soon enough found herself in the castle library where, sure enough, she found Thomas at a table with several books around him, all dealing with healing magic.

"Haven't seen you the last couple days," Suzanne said to him.

Thomas looked up to see who was talking to him and then immediately looked back down, unable to keep eye contact. "Suzanne, I'm - " he began.

"Don't even apologize for this," Suzanne said, indicating her injured arm. "It wasn't your fault. I practically stuck my hand in that creature's mouth. I was careless."

"You were trying to kill it before it injured someone, as it did to Ron," Thomas argued. "It's my job to keep everyone in one piece after things like that happen and I failed again."

"You failed huh?" answered Suzanne. "Funny, because it seems as though I'm in one piece again. I must be mistaken."

"That wasn't my doing," protested Thomas. "The castle healers patched you up."

"But you got me here and kept me stable until you got me to them. You made sure to bring my arm from the pyramid. You did what you could," Suzanne said. "You've got to stop blaming yourself whenever we get hurt. Your magic has progressed immensely since we set out. I saw how you healed Ron's wound. That was incredible. No novice could have patched him up that well. Soon enough, you will be able to heal injuries like mine. Maybe even on the spot, as the most powerful clerics can. I believe you will."

Thomas did not say anything in response. Suzanne decided to lighten the mood, "Come on. We're going to play cards again tonight. Alice is about ready to lynch you for being so antisocial. And I don't want to have to wait another week to enter the pyramid because two of my companions tried to kill each other."

Thomas managed a small laugh and decided to follow Suzanne back to the inn where the group had been staying.

* * *

"The pyramid: attempt number two," Ron said as they neared the structure again.

The week had passed and as Thomas and Alice failed to do any harm to each other, the group was able to make another attempt at the pyramid. Suzanne's arm was back to its former health and she was able to fight as though she had not been injured at all.

The group made their way to the same trident shaped chamber they originally had to retreat from. They went in the right prong, the last one, and cautiously approached the chest. Although it was most likely another creature, the group could not take the chance that it was not. Instead of opening it, however, Ron struck the chest right on the hinge. When the chest did not move, save the movement from Ron's blow, Ron opened the chest. The group was immensely relieved to find no teeth or eyes on the inside. However, there was not anything else inside either.

"Well, I'll take an empty chest over another one of those creatures any day," said Alice cheerfully.

The group went to the northern exit of the north pit room and found a dead end. They went down the east path and found a winding chamber of hallways that led to a room with two beautiful emerald statues, both of a previous Isis ruler. They proceeded until they found a staircase going up to the next floor.

The next floor was made up of a series of thin hallways. As the group navigated through some of the hallways, they came across a blue bag with eyes and a mouth along with three humanoid creatures covered completely in bandages, save for the eyes and mouths with large teeth.

"Here we go again!" yelled Ron.

Alice sent a stream of fire at the bandaged creatures, killing one and seriously wounding the remaining two. The blue bag moved around in a very strange fashion, and a star of green light left Alice and sailed off. Alice felt as though she had just been drained of something.

Meanwhile, the two bandaged creatures did not act as though they had been wounded. Both of them ran up to Ron and struck at him with their arms. Ron was surprised to find claws hidden in their bandages as he took a scratch to the side. He dispatched one with a terrific blow to the shoulder and the creature fell. Suzanne ran the other one through with her sword. Thomas ran at the blue bag and tried to stab it but the creature somehow jumped over his attack.

The creature followed up by casting a spell and the group was covered with the familiar purple mist of an illusions spell. Indeed, it now appeared as though there were a dozen of the bag enemy. Suzanne cast her own stream of fire spell, though weaker than Alice's, while Thomas sent a strong cutting wind at the creature. It died from the force of the two spells.

"Damn! That thing drained some of my magic!" complained Alice.

"What?" asked Ron. "How is that possible?"

"It's a skill some creatures have. I actually know a spell which can take magic from other creatures and use it to restore mine. It looks like I'll have to start using it," Alice explained.

"So what were those things, Alice?" asked Suzanne.

Alice looked at the bag's remains and shook her head, "I don't know what that is. The bandaged things are called mummies, though. They're apparently undead that were buried here to guard the treasures and the bodies of the rulers."

Ron had been examining the bag and suddenly jumped up excited, "Hey guys! This thing actually has money in it!"

The group went over to examine the creature's remains and found it had hundreds of gold inside of it.

"I'm guessing that it's a bag that the people animated to life," Alice theorized.

"So they animated a bag of money to guard this place?" Ron asked. "Seems kind of strange to use treasure to guard treasure."

The group continued searching the floor they were currently on. They found more enemies along the way, but dealt with them without too much trouble. They found two staircases, one going down and one going up, along with another empty chest. They went down the descending staircase first only to find a couple chambers with a total of three empty chests.

"I'm starting to think the looters already took what we're looking for," Thomas said grimly.

The group backtracked to the staircase they found going up. They were greeted by a group of four mummies. These, however, had a blue hue to their bandages. As the four mummies came at the group, Alice made them pay with her stream of fire spell. The creatures kept going, however.

Suzanne and Ron both took on two apiece. Suzanne found herself clawed on both sides but finished one of the creatures by running it through with her sword. Ron managed to block and duck under both attacks aimed at him and then came up with his axe right into the gut of one of the creatures, causing it to fall. Thomas came over the assist Suzanne with a stab to the torso of another creature. Suzanne went over by Ron to finish the last one off.

"I'm running out of magic guys," Alice said. "We may have to come back another day if we don't find the key soon."

"Those mummies were tougher than the others," observed Suzanne.

"It's said that some of the rulers' exceptional bodyguards became more powerful undead to protect their masters," explained Alice.

"Such loyalty even in death," said Ron thoughtfully.

"It's not loyalty," said Thomas angrily. "They're undead. They no longer have minds. They do what they were created to do." Thomas hated undead more than most.

The group found several more powerful mummies throughout the floor. Alice had to start conserving her magic which caused the group to take more wounds with every encounter. As a result, Thomas was running low on magic as well.

The group found two staircases leading up along with a passage in the middle that was blocked by a huge boulder. In the southwest and southeast corners of the floor they found two buttons each.

"Wait, I might know what to do here!" exclaimed Alice, suddenly with an idea. "I was hanging out with some of the kids last week and they taught me this old Isis nursery rhyme. 'Oh which to try? Oh which to test? First to the east, then to the west.' Maybe if we hit the east-most button and the west-most button something will happen!"

"I don't know Alice," said Ron. "Couldn't we just go up the stairs? I'd think the key would be higher up anyway. Your idea might just trigger another trap."

"Actually, Alice may have a point. If the people who built this wanted someone to go through, they'd want it to be one of their own people," Suzanne theorized. "As such, they would have left clues on how to get through. This nursery rhyme may have been a discreet way to give such a clue. It's imbedded in their culture but nobody would think about it since it's a kid's song. Let's give it a try."

The group went and did as Alice said, pushing the east-most button and then the west-most button. They were greeted with the loud sound of the boulder moving. The group returned to the middle chamber to see that it was indeed gone. Inside were two chests.

"They could be more of those things," said Thomas grimly.

"Thomas, Alice, do you guys have enough magic to handle one more battle and an escape?" Suzanne asked. The two nodded in response. Suzanne motioned for Ron to try the chests. A strike to each chest produced no odd results, so he opened both of them. One of the chests had a purple seed in it while the other had a gold key with a ruby imbedded in it.

"Is this it?" Ron asked as he handed the key to Alice.

Alice examined the key a little bit. "It's got some magic in it," she said. "I don't know if it's what we're looking for, but it could be."

"Put the seed back," Suzanne said to Ron. "Her Majesty said we should only disturb what we must. It looks like we got what we came for."

"Thank goodness," said Ron. "I hope we never have to go through so much trouble for a key ever again."

* * *

Author's Note: I actually have quite a few things to say this time.

1. Thanks to Vegeta the 3rd for the generous review, my first one! Anyone else with constructive critcism or comments will also be appreciated.

2. I realize that a severed limb is pretty violent and graphic. Anyone who thinks I'm pushing the T rating here please tell me and I'll edit the chapter accordingly.

3. To clarify: Suzanne's HP was depleted when that happened. I never agreed with DQ calling 0 HP "death." I know it's just a label and 0 HP means pretty much the same thing in any game. Nevertheless, I think it takes something away from the story for characters to be dying and coming back all the time. So for this story, 0 HP will be a mortal wound. If not healed quickly, it will result in either permanent injury or death. Nothing will bring dead characters back.


	11. Chapter 10: Hostage Situation

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 10: Hostage Situation

The group had returned to the Romaly-Portoga border with their new key in hand. As they entered the building they found the same man they had met before sitting at the same desk doing paperwork. Once again the man paid no attention to the group as they entered. Suzanne took out the magic key and tried it on the lock. Tiny blue magical sparks came from the key as it broke down the enchantment on the door. The door was unlocked and could now be opened.

Now the man finally looked up at the group. "How did you do that? Where did you get that key?" he asked, now standing up and walking over to the group.

"You said that if we could open the door we could go to Portoga, didn't you?" asked Suzanne.

"Yeah but, they've never given the key to that door to anyone that I know of. Are you some sort of Portogan ambassadors?" the man returned, clearly confused.

Suzanne started to the stairs on the other side of the door. "This leads to Portoga right?" she asked.

The man just stared at her for a moment and then answered, "Yeah, I think so. I've never seen anyone go through, so it's only a guess."

The group proceeded down the stairs, which led them to a hallway underneath the river. In the middle of the hallway was a door to the left. After finding that the door was locked, Suzanne tried to use the magic key on the door. However, the key was unable to break the enchantment on this door and it remained locked.

"Damn it!" cursed Ron. "We better not have to go through there to reach Portoga. I've had enough of these doors and their keys!"

"Settle down, the hallway goes on a ways. We'll probably still reach Portoga," said Alice cheerfully.

The group proceeded down the hallway and found a staircase leading up. They found themselves in a building almost exactly like the one on the Romalian side of the border. However, this one did not have a guard in it. The group went outside and found themselves on a tiny island with a bridge going to the mainland. Alice confirmed that they were now officially in Portoga.

* * *

It took a day and a half to get from the Romaly-Portoga border to get to the castle town of Portoga. They spent the rest of the day at the inn and, the next morning, were going to set up an appointment with the king when they found they were being summoned by him. In traveling the country, the people quickly noticed the group as outsiders. As the border with Romaly had been closed off, and all other outsiders came by ship to the land and thus were located on the coast for the most part, the group quickly attracted attention. Word of their coming reached the king almost the same day they made it to the castle town.

The group made the trip from the inn to the castle. They took in the scene as they walked to it: the castle actually was out on a tiny island in the ocean connected to the town by a large bridge. The group made their way to the throne room of King Saldor, ruler of Portoga. The king was significantly older than Emperor Vilisik or Queen Calasta. He looked as though he were in his late seventies or maybe even his early eighties. After bowing and curtsying, the king began to speak.

"I have heard rumors that you come from across the Romaly-Portoga border," the king began. "Last that I checked, the border has been sealed by magic. By your coming here, am I to take it that Emperor Vilisik has forced open the border?"

"No, your Majesty," replied Suzanne. "We acquired the means to get through the border by our own power."

"Acquired the means by your own power? You must have gone to quite some trouble to get through the border. Such trouble would suggest that you needed to accomplish something here. Might I ask what they something is?" the king conjectured. From his tone, the group could tell he did not believe they were not with the empire.

"Actually, we came to talk to you over an important matter. Since we are already in meeting, would you mind if we began our piece on the matter?" Suzanne answered.

The emperor nodded and Suzanne asked, "You have heard of the Archfiend who lives in southern Tarasia?"

"I have heard the rumors yes. If Emperor Vilisik has worried you over this Archfiend, I can assure you the rumors are exaggerated," King Saldor said.

"What makes you say that?" Suzanne asked.

The king laughed, a cold laugh of mockery, "If your story is true, you do not know Emperor Vilisik well. He is a young, foolish ruler of an even more foolish nation. Nevertheless, the empire has shown its cunning in the past. If he's not making a big deal over nothing, than he is exaggerating facts to get after something."

"He says that the Archfiend has wiped out humanity on the southern side of Tarasia," Suzanne said.

"Lies and exaggerations," the king said dismissively. "I will not believe such a claim until I see proof. Is this the entire point of your meeting with me?"

"Not entirely," Suzanne answered. Knowing that getting the king's cooperation was a long shot, she hesitated before she began again, "We have been convening with different nations and we are hoping to build an alliance against the forces of the Archfiend. You may find the Archfiend's threat exaggerated, but what if it is not? Would you not be more secure standing next to other nations in defiance of what this monster might do?"

The king listened to Suzanne and then laughed his mocking laugh again. "Young miss, do not try to scare me. Perhaps you do not know your history, but I do. I know what happened the last time someone went around uniting the nations against some 'great threat.' I fought in the Second Great War almost fifty years ago. I am not about to let that happen again."

Suzanne kept her cool, even though she could see this was a lost cause, "Think more on the First Great War than the second. Think of the devastation that resulted from that war."

The king was very annoyed now, "More exaggerations. Almost all of humanity wiped out by some smarter-than-normal monster? Impossible. Being the greatest struggle of the time, I am sure the historians exaggerated its effect. I saw the effects of the Second Great War with my own eyes. I know the results of that one."

The king then began to calm down a little bit. "Your plea is very similar to another group of travelers that came here. Interestingly enough, the leader was from the sealed land of Aliahan. Unfortunately, he met with little success in his quest. Have you met with anymore success? You said you had been convening with different nations. Which ones have agreed to your claims?" the king asked thoughtfully.

Suzanne hesitated before answering, "The Romalian Empire and the Kingdom of Isis."

The king laughed his mocking laugh once again, "So you have met with more success! Impressive! But you must forgive me if I do not immediately join the side of my enemies and their allies all because of some big scary monster that everyone has been whispering about."

"If we could give you proof that he is a threat, would you join this alliance?" Suzanne asked.

"I might," the king asked. "But how will you get such proof? From all reports I have seen, this Archfiend makes his home in the Necrogond Mountains. How will you even reach the mountains, let alone find his castle? Do you have a ship?"

"No we don't your Majesty," Suzanne answered.

"Well then, I may have a business proposition for you," the king said. "Black pepper is a fine delicacy in this country. The people like to say that it is worth more than its weight in gold. Unfortunately, we have run out of this fine spice and increasing monster activity over the seas has made it impossible to procure some more. We get this pepper from a town called Baharata, to the east of the empire. Since you can go through the empire, your journey would be shorter. Get a significant amount of black pepper, and I may reward you with a ship."

"That is a generous offer, your Majesty," Suzanne admitted.

"There is a tunnel underneath the mountains to the east of Assaram. This is the best way to Baharata. However, the tunnel is blocked and can only be navigated by use of a secret passage. An old friend of mine, Norud the dwarf, knows the passage. I shall give you a message to give to him. May you return with a great deal of black pepper," the king continued.

The group thanked him for the information and prepared for another journey.

* * *

"Well, we seem to have a knack for attracting the attention of rulers," observed Ron.

"Too bad half of them are less than willing to listen to us," Suzanne said.

"Well we expected that when we set out," Alice chipped in. "After all, we are from the sealed land of Aliahan. All in all, I'd say we're doing pretty well."

"I guess you're right. And if King Saldor does give us a ship, we can go from country to country until we find another one to join the empire and Isis. Each one that joins us will add up. Plus, if we can scout out the Archfiend's forces, King Saldor will have to believe us," Suzanne said.

"Flyers!" yelled Thomas.

Coming at the group was a party of four large bees. These ones were colored purple and blue. As was usual when going against aerial enemies, Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas formed a protective circle around Alice. Alice sent the weaker of her two stream of fire spells at the four, hoping to conserve her magic. The bees were all horribly burned, but still able to fight.

Two of the bees came at the protective circle only to be cut down by the blades of the three front-liners. The other two hung back and cast spells at the group. Surprisingly, the group found two streams of fire engulfing them, giving them noticeable burns. Realizing the danger of these foes, Alice sent another stream of fire at them. They fell to the ground, dead.

"It seems like our foes keep using stronger and stronger magic," Suzanne observed.

"We'll have to remember to take those things out early from now on," Ron suggested.

The group had been traveling for one day, including going through the tunnel that the king had mentioned. As promised, Norud the dwarf let the group through after seeing the king's note. They found themselves sandwiched between two mountain ranges, though the one they passed through was replaced by a large river after a while. In between the two ranges were hills and forests. After two more days of traveling, the group came out of the forest they had been traveling through. It was another day before they made it to the town of Baharata.

* * *

"That's odd, there's nobody at the counter," Suzanne observed.

"Excuse me," Alice said to the other man in the pepper store. "Do you know where the storekeeper is?"

The man sighed and said, "Like me, you're out of luck. It seems the store is closed since the shop owner's granddaughter has been kidnapped."

Alice gasped, "Kidnapped? By who? Why?"

"Couldn't tell you who. As to why, that's easy," the man replied. "The pepper business is booming right now. I hear the king of some far off land places in large orders for pepper. The stuff is gold. You'd be able to get a king's ransom from the owner."

"Thanks for the information," Suzanne said to the man. Then she turned to the rest of the group, "Let's find the owner and see if we can do anything to help."

After asking around for a little while, the group soon found the owner of the shop, an old man looking to be in his seventies, at the beach of the large river that ran through town. Standing next to him was a man around the same age of the group, with a sword hanging on his waist. Both looked to be in quite a bit of distress.

"Excuse me," said Suzanne as she approached the two men. "We're looking for the owner of the pepper shop, would you know where to find him?"

"Shop's not open now," said the older man.

"Are you the owner?" asked Suzanne. The man gave an annoyed nod and Suzanne continued, "We've heard about your dilemma. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Not unless you've got 200,000 gold to spare," replied the man. "The kidnappers asked for that in ransom. If I can't get that in three days she is as good as dead."

"We don't have the gold but we do have blades and magic and the skill to use them. Might we be able to rescue your granddaughter?" offered Suzanne.

At this point, the younger man spoke up, "These weren't regular thugs that took her. Six of them were knights from the Romalian Empire to the west. Their leader wasn't, but he looked as strong as a demon. Looked the part too, as his skin was this strange blue color. Our local authorities tried to stop them and the knights killed three of them. They were no match for them."

Suzanne persisted in her offer, "We've handled crooked knights from the empire before. I'm sure we can defeat them."

The younger man was angry at this point, "No! If anyone has a chance to save Tania it'll be me! I'll find her and I'll save her!" With that, he angrily stormed off.

"No, Galen! You don't know what you're getting into!" shouted the old man. Unfortunately, Galen ignored him and kept going.

"Damn it," cursed the old man. He turned his attention back to the group. "Forgive me, my name is Daniel. That man Galen is my granddaughter Tania's love. He's taken her kidnapping as hard as I have. I appreciate your offer, but I couldn't ask complete strangers to risk their necks to help us."

"Don't worry about it. Do you have any idea where the kidnappers are?" asked Suzanne.

"That's another thing. They're in a cave to the northeast, past the mountains. You could get there by taking the bridge a few miles southeast of here, than following the river to another bridge. It's almost straight west from there, just a little to the north. But there's terrible monsters in that cave," explained the old man.

"We've got experience against monsters too. We'll get her back. How long is the trip?" asked Suzanne.

"Two days," the man said grimly. "I have to leave tomorrow to get there by their deadline."

"We'll have to get moving then. Don't worry about anything, we'll bring her back safe," Suzanne assured him.

Suzanne and the rest of the group decided to head to the inn to discuss their plan of action.

"If we've only got three days, we can spend the rest of today resting up and gathering what information we can on the kidnappers," suggested Ron. "Then we can join the old man and ambush them at the exchange."

"I would guess they would expect that," pointed out Thomas. "They'll probably have a trap of some sort ready."

"What choice do we have Tom? Are we going to show up a day late?" asked Alice angrily.

"It won't do much good to show up on time if their trap involves killing Tania before we can get to her," pointed out Thomas. "Really, they don't even need a trap. All they need to do is leave Tania in the cave and refuse to tell us where she is. She'll be fending for herself while we waste time fighting them."

"So we'll go early," said Suzanne. "They've have to be keeping watch on her. They may not expect an early strike either. They won't leave her on her own and they'll be less likely to have a trap ready. We may surprise them. Anyone object?"

Nobody in the group objected. "One thing bothers me," said Ron. "He said six of them were from the empire. It seems that we didn't get all the crooked knights after all."

"There has to be more corrupt knights than what we fought," said Thomas. "Money and power are terrible influences on some people."

"We'll have to mention this to Emperor Vilisik when we get the chance. But for now, we better leave right away," said Suzanne.

* * *

It was about a day and a half's trip to the cave. Since it had already been midday when the group had found out about Tania and the kidnappers, they made it to the cave at night. The group decided to go right inside rather than camp outside for fear that the kidnappers might find them. Plus, they might have a better chance at surprising the criminals at night.

"Yet another search mission," pointed out Ron. "You have to love how we always go through dangerous areas without knowing where we're going."

"Be alert guys," said Suzanne. "If they see us before we see them, this could get disastrous in a hurry."

The group quickly went about exploring the cave. They found the cave was very structured and easy to search. It was made up of several large rooms with small passages in between each room. The catch was that there were several rooms to go through. The group found that anytime they came to a room the room had two or three more rooms to go to. Although it took almost no time to search each room, as they were all empty, it looked as though it would take a while to visit every one.

"You're keeping the map, right Alice?" asked Ron. "We could easily get lost or lose track of where we've gone in a place like this."

"Don't worry about a thing, I've got it covered," Alice answered.

The group came to a locked door. The group readied themselves to enter and strike, quick and hard. Ron got out the magic key and prepared to open the door. The magic key was quicker to use than Baker's key, even on doors without magical locks, so the group had decided to use the magic key instead. Ron unlocked the door and swung it open and the group charged in.

There weren't any humans inside the room, but there were monsters. Four winged cat creatures, similar to the ones they fought around Assaram, were in the room. Unlike the ones from Assaram, these were dark blue in color. Alice sent a strong stream of fire at two of the cats, the other two were across the room, and killed one while severely wounding the other. Thomas tried to finish the wounded one but it just barely dodged him. Suzanne and Ron ran at the other two creatures and Ron killed one of them with a great slash across its middle, literally cutting it in half. Suzanne's foe managed to react just in time.

Alice sent a fireball at the cat she had wounded and it finally died from its wounds. The other three tried to get at the one remaining, but it was flying around the ceiling of the cave in strange patterns. A star of green light came out of Thomas, signaling the loss of some of his magic. After that, the creature finally descended enough to be within reach of the group. Suzanne managed a jumping strike at the beast which wounded its wing, sending it down lower. Ron finished it off by decapitating it.

"More magic-draining enemies," Alice observed.

"Looks like we've got some treasure chests here," Ron said.

"Wait!" Alice warned. "I've done some reading. I know how to see whether or not these things are monsters!"

"Won't they attack once we walk away anyway?" Suzanne asked.

"They'll have no idea we're here until we open them or strike them. I don't need to touch them to use this spell and they have no sense of smell or hearing to sense us with," Alice explained.

They found some gold in one chest and found the other to be a monster in disguise. Thankful that they did not have to fight it, they moved on to the rooms to the west. They found that these three rooms were sectioned off from the rest of the cave by one locked door each. In the other rooms they found some gold, a phial of fairy water, a medical herb, and no monster chests.

The group proceeded through the rest of the cave cautiously. Since every room looked exactly the same, Alice's map was invaluable. They soon found themselves on the southern side of the cave facing another locked door. They prepared themselves for battle once again and opened the door. They did not find any enemies on the other side. They had found another section of rooms separated from the rest of the cave by locked doors.

As they explored this section they soon came across a group of one blue cat monster and two new monsters that looked like a small human wearing a robe of green skin and fat that reached to its ankles. Unlike humans, the monsters did not seem to have faces. They did carry wooden staves in their hands. All three monsters came at the group while Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas met them in melee. Alice sent a strong stream of fire at the green monsters only to find it had no effect.

"Damn! They're resistant to magic!" Alice cursed.

Unfortunately, the monsters could also cast magic. One monster blocked Ron's coming axe with its surprisingly extra sturdy staff and sent a spell at him at the same time. He was overcome with yellow waves of magic and proceeded to stand up, looking around confused. Suzanne managed to strike her foe on its arm while it returned with a block to her head, though her helmet did wonders in softening the impact. This one also cast a spell while it fought in melee and the group was reacquainted with the familiar purple haze of an illusion spell. This time, Suzanne and Thomas managed to fight off the spell while Ron and Alice fell victim to it.

Thomas took some claws to his shield arm but returned with a jab to the creature's wing, sending it to the ground though not killing it. Alice finished off the cat creature with a bolt of ice. Ron inexplicably ran at and tried to hit Suzanne. Suzanne, not expecting the attack, was not able to defend herself from Ron but luckily the illusion spell combined with the confusion he was under made it nearly impossible for him to make contact. Suzanne finished off her foe with a slash on its head, which would have split its face in half if it had one.

The last green monster ran at and swung at Suzanne, getting blocked by her shield, and cast a spell at the same time. Alice found herself falling victim to the yellow waves of the confusion spell. Suzanne slashed the monster across the midsection while Thomas came over and finished it by stabbing it in the back. Ron was about to make an attempt at Thomas when suddenly, at the monster's death, he stopped, axe raised, and then looked around in a daze. Alice, who had been about to fry her friends with a spell, also looked around in a daze.

"Ron, Alice! We're your friends!" Suzanne yelled at the dazed two. "Do you recognize us? Are you alright?"

After shaking his head, Ron responded, "Yeah. What just happened?"

"A confusion spell," Thomas said grimly. "One of the most diabolical of all enchantments. It turns friend into foe."

"Oh my goodness, I was just about to fry you guys!" Alice cried in terror.

"I actually tried to kill you two!" Ron said horrified.

"You had no control over your actions. If Susie or I had been affected by the spell, we would have done the same thing," Thomas consoled.

"Thanks, Tom. It's nice of you to be so comforting for once," Alice said. Seeing Thomas frowned she added, "Just kidding, you're great."

"Those were very dangerous monsters," Suzanne said, changing the subject. "Not only did they have their confusion spell, they could cast spells and fight us in melee at the same time. I've never heard of such a thing before."

"Neither have I," said Alice. "If I could do that, I wouldn't need you guys to form a wall up for me every time we get into a fight."

The group continued their explorations and soon found a descending staircase. Preparing themselves once again, they went downstairs. They found themselves in a hallway with a split to their left. Both the path ahead and to the left had locked doors at the end of them. The group decided to try the one in front of them and, when they took the magic key to it, were surprised to find the door had been magically locked.

There were no enemies in the room beyond, but four treasure chests. After checking every chest, they found seeds in all of them. The group distributed the seeds amongst themselves, though Alice refused to eat the acorns of life they found. Thomas took the acorns instead and was met with similar pain as Alice had had when she ate them. The group then went back to the other door and once again prepared themselves.

They finally struck gold this time as they opened the door and found four knights inside, two guarding the door and two sitting at a table. As they had been told, the knights wore the familiar golden armor of the Romalian Empire. The two guarding the door had been waiting past the small entryway between the door and the large room the group was now in. As the group charged in, the two at the table quickly sat up and grabbed their weapons while backing away from the charge. The two guarding the door fell in behind the group, surrounding the group.

"So who would you be now?" asked one of the door guards.

"They're not guards, but they are pretty well armed. You guys thinking you want to join us?" asked one of the ones that had been at a table.

"Not over our dead bodies," replied Suzanne. "We know you've been involved in a kidnapping. Surrender now and you will be spared!"

The four knights laughed at Suzanne's words. "It's not us who need to be spared," said one.

Seeing the situation would not be resolved peacefully, Alice released the spell she had been preparing. The group was engulfed in a bright yellow light, reducing their vulnerability to physical harm. This came just in time as the two door guards ran at Alice. As they were surrounded and facing four opponents, it was impossible to form a wall around Alice. Thomas cut one off but the other got through. Thanks to her spell, she took only a cut to the shoulder. Thomas blocked his opponent's blow with his shield and got him in the side.

With better equipment and more skill since their last fight with Romalian knights, Ron and Suzanne met one opponent each and easily outmatched their foes. Both dodged or blocked blows from their man and returned with solid slashes to their opponent's arms. Alice desperately backed away from her foe and somehow managed to get another spell off, further raising the group's resistance to physical harm. Now when the knight fighting her slashed at her, his sword turned off her robe as though she were wearing armor.

The rest of the battle went pretty routine. Alice's two spells had made the group near impervious to the knights' attacks. With the reduced risk, the group was able to subdue the knights rather than kill them. Within a half a minute, the knights had all been knocked out. The group removed them of their armor and weapons and put them in one corner while they put the knights, who had also been tied up, in another corner.

"That went pretty well. Alice, your spells were great! That fool was no match for me at all after that!" exclaimed Ron.

"Keep quiet!" scolded Thomas. "There were four. According to what we've heard, there are two more knights and a blue-skinned man left."

The group proceeded into a hallway on the side opposite where they had entered the room and found a couple of cells blocked by large stone jail doors that had no keyholes or any indication they could be pulled or pushed open. There was a beautiful young woman in the one to the left and, surprisingly, Galen in the one to their right.

"Oh brave heroes, please save me! I am Tania of Baharata!" yelled the young woman.

Galen walked up to his jail door and said, "It's you, the ones from town. I'm sorry you had to come rescue us. The button that opens this door should be near the table at the end of the hallway there."

Sure enough, there was a button just where Galen indicated. The button made the stone doors lower. Galen and Tania ran at each other and embraced. The two exchanged a kiss and then Galen had a proposition.

"When we get back, let's get married!" he said to Tania.

"Oh, Galen, yes! Let's get married" replied Tania. The two kissed again and then ran for the exit.

"Wait!" called Suzanne. "Don't run off, we can teleport you out!"

The group ran after the couple only to find them blocked by two knights and a familiar figure. The blue-skinned man that Daniel had described wore the same sort of clothing as Kandar had. Indeed, when the man spoke, he spoke with Kandar's voice.

"Now that we're back, you'll never escape!" one of the knights laughed.

Tania screamed for help, "Save us, brave heroes!"

The group ran up to the couple's aid. "Leave him to us! Run! Quick!" she shouted.

As the couple ran away from the three criminals, Kandar looked at the group in disbelief, "You again! This time I'll finish ya off!"

Alice cast the same spell she had the last battle. Strengthened against physical attack. Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas were able to keep the three men from going after Alice or the couple. Suzanne and Thomas engaged the two knights and just as before had little to fear from them. Ron engaged Kandar and found a different story. Kandar cut through Ron's armor and enchantment and dealt him a nice blow to the shoulder. Ron cut Kandar across his shoulder, but was amazed when the cut began to heal itself right before his eyes.

Alice helped out Ron by sending a fireball at Kandar. Unlike her other fireballs, this once exploded upon impact with Kandar. Kandar was knocked back a bit but both were amazed to see his burns heal before them. Ron gave him another slash, and that began to heal itself as well.

"What the hell!" yelled Ron. "His wounds are healing themselves!"

Ron took another slash, this one to his side, and stepped backwards a bit.

"We have to finish this quickly so we can help Ron, Tom!" Suzanne yelled at Thomas.

The two finished their knights as quick as they could and ran to help Ron. By this point, Ron had taken a blow to the leg. He was still fighting strong, but he could not take as much abuse again. Thomas sent his stronger healing spell at Ron, which closed up the wounds he had received.

What happened next was amazing. Seeing that Suzanne and Thomas were there to help Ron fight Kandar, Alice cast another strengthening spell on the group. Kandar was still able to deal blows through two enchantments and armor. Even more amazingly, he took blows from Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas while taking exploding fireballs from Alice and, although his wounds did not heal fast to make up for all the abuse he was taking, still fought on.

Eventually, Kandar's axe fell to the ground. "Damn it! I can't feel my arm! I'm no match for ya guys! Spare me, please!" he yelled. Just like last time, Ron put the blade of his weapon to Kandar's throat.

"So here we are again, Kandar," Ron growled at him.

"Please, it wasn't my fault this time either! These are the same knights as before. They tracked me down and were going to kill me for botching their scheme at ruling. Then they made me kidnap the pepper shop owner's daughter!" Kandar pleaded.

"So you've been taken advantage of twice?" asked Suzanne. "Once maybe, but twice is starting to get out of hand."

"Kandar," Thomas cut in. "Do you know what that blue paint you've got on does?"

"Yeah. I know. They told me. Than they made me put it on to make me fight better. That's where we were before we came back. Said I'd be able to slaughter anyone who tried to rescue those two," Kandar explained.

"We'll spare you, but we're turning you in. Then we can discuss you and these knights," said Suzanne.

"No wait! You don't want to do that!" yelled Kandar.

"Oh what this time!" yelled Ron. "Is there another village out there under an elf curse? Maybe the unicorns are going to attack!"

"No but these two are still in danger," Kandar said nervously. "Have ya ever heard of Tricebane?"

Thomas, at the mention of the word, immediately walked up to Kandar and looked him angrily in the eyes. "You didn't! You did not poison those two with Tricebane!" he demanded.

Kandar looked like he was going to cry at the sight of the enraged healer. "I didn't do it!" he protested. "The knights did. It was their defense against a rescue attempt!"

"What is Tricebane?" asked Suzanne.

"It's a deadly, though slow-acting, poison that is immune to magic and can't be treated with normal antidote herbs," explained Thomas. "If these two have it, they only have about six days to live unless we can find the antidote, which is incredibly rare."

"I know where the antidote is!" yelled Kandar. "They didn't want to risk poisoning themselves, so they kept it around."

* * *

"I still can't believe we let that dirtbag go _again_!" yelled Ron, as the group waited in the pepper shop.

Unlike last time, Kandar had lied about the poison. The antidote he gave the group was nothing but died water, so that Thomas would not immediately know it was fake based on the color. Kandar then escaped by having the group teleport him out of the cave and taking another wing of wyvern. After finding themselves duped, Suzanne had Thomas do a full check-up on the two, on a hunch that if Kandar lied about the antidote, he lied about the poison. Thankfully, the two had not actually been poisoned.

"After last time, he probably did a lot of research to find himself another way out if he got caught again. There are few non-clerics that know of Tricebane," Thomas had theorized.

After getting into town, Tania and Galen had run to find Daniel. However, it was already morning of the next day when the group made it back, and Daniel had already left to try and negotiate for Tania's safety. Ron and Thomas quickly went out to find him and were able to bring him back. Daniel was greatly relieved to find Tania and Galen safe, though he did not know Galen had been kidnapped as well. Meanwhile, Suzanne and Alice had taken a quick trip to Romaly to turn in the four knights they had captured. Emperor Vilisik was thankful to see them brought to justice at last.

Just as they had promised each other in the cave, Tania and Galen were soon wed. After their incident with Kandar, they wanted it done as soon as possible. The group attended the wedding a week later and were treated to a great day of celebration. After that, Tania and Galen were given Daniel's pepper business as the old man handed it over to them. The pepper shop was open in another week and the group was anxious to procure what they had originally come for.

"We won't be seeing him again, I think," said Thomas.

"What makes you say that?" asked Suzanne.

"I recognized that paint he had on. It was used to strengthen men way back in the First Great War. When it was first used, humanity thought it was a miracle. It turned the tide at first. Then we found out some of its side-effects," explained Thomas.

"The paint heals wounds at a remarkable rate and stops the person from feeling the pain but it comes at a terrible price. First of all, you can't wear armor or even clothing where you have the paint. Any of that will burn and mold into the skin, an incredibly painful process that can even kill," Thomas continued.

Thomas than sighed and went on, "But more terribly, it doesn't really heal the pain and wounds you receive. It only delays them. Once the paint fades off, Kandar will feel every slash and every fireball that was thrown at him. In the First Great War, men died in excruciating agony when the paint wore off. Those that didn't often went insane with the pain."

"My goodness," gasped Suzanne. "Is it possible to keep the paint from wearing off?"

"You can keep reapplying it, but the result is almost as terrible. Constant exposure to the paint drives a man to insanity as well. In this case, the subject is overcome with insatiable bloodlust and just wants to kill everything that moves. The person won't even eat or sleep so long as it can hunt whatever lives," said Thomas grimly.

"I guess even Kandar doesn't deserve that," Ron said grudgingly.

"We still don't know if he's even at fault," said Alice. "He may have been telling the truth all this time, except for the poison. Have we ever seen or heard of him actually kill someone?"

"I guess we haven't," replied Ron. "But a man doesn't get into that much trouble if he's a good man. He should be brought in to answer for what he's done."

At this point, Galen stepped up to the counter. "Oh my heroes!" he greeted. "What can I do for you today? I assure you, everything is on the house as far as you're concerned."

Suzanne stepped up and laughed nervously, "You may want to take that back in a second. We need to place an order for King Saldor of Portoga. He wants a year's worth of black pepper."

Galen's smile did not fade at all. "When I say everything, I mean everything! The lack of the king's money will be a blow, but now that we're back in business we have enough customers to make up for it. We will get the king his pepper, at no cost to you! It's the least I can do for what you've done."

"The least!" laughed Alice. "After all the money you'll be losing, I don't see how you can say that word."

"Oh well, money is nice and all, but now I see other things are more important," said Galen. "My life, and more importantly, the life of my beloved Tania are the most important."

* * *

Author's note: My longest chapter yet, I believe. Please review if you have the time.


	12. Chapter 11: Enlightenment

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 11: Enlightenment

"Could you give me an explanation for how this works?" Alice asked.

"Basically, it takes all the experience and skill you've accumulated in your line of work up until now and converts a lot of it towards another line of work," explained the cleric. "You will not be as skilled in your new calling as you were in your old one, but you will also retain a good deal of the skill from your old calling."

As it had turned out, the King Saldor of Portoga had not expected the group to be able to acquire so much black pepper. He had sent them away hoping they would be unable to meet their task and give up. He was quite surprised when the group came back with a contract from Galen promising a year's worth of black pepper, free of charge.

Fortunately, the king was not one to go back on his word, and agreed to give the group a ship and crew. However, still skeptical that the contract was legitimate, he demanded that three month's worth be delivered before he would hand over the reward. After consulting many maps of the world, the group found that they would be unable to reach any more nations without a ship and rather than hire one out they decided to wait until they had their own.

In the meantime, the team had taken a detour to the north of Baharata to visit the famed Temple of Dhama. The group had heard many interesting rumors about the place from citizens of Baharata. They had been told that many people who sought fresh starts or just a change of pace in their lives went to Dhama. Alice found herself very curious of the strange powers held by the clerics of the temple and had since gone about researching as much as she could.

Alice returned from the temple's library to the inn in which the group was staying. Since Dhama attracted many people from all around, an inn and a few shops had sprung up just outside the temple. The group had decided to stay at the inn for a while until they found something better to do.

"Hey guys," Alice addressed the group enthusiastically. "I've got something we can do while we wait!"

"What's that, Alice?" asked Suzanne.

"I've done some research, and I've found some amazing things! You guys have heard the stories of the ancient sages, right?" Alice asked.

The group all nodded. The sages were a group of people who had lived during the time of the First Great War. It was said that Simon, the hero of the war, himself had been a sage before the war began. The sages were said to have great magical ability. They could cast both the spiritual spells of a cleric and the arcane spells of a wizard. Besides that, they even had decent proficiency with weapons and armor. The sages had been instrumental in winning the First Great War, though their order had been wiped out in the conflict.

"Well, there might be a way for one of us to become a sage!" exclaimed Alice.

"Is that even possible?" asked Thomas, skeptical. "All of the teachings and ways of the sages were lost after the First Great War. We barely know anything about them at all."

"Not all of their teachings of been lost," said Alice. "According to some of the clerics and some of the books in the library, there may be something in the Tower of Garuna to the north. Apparently the tower used to be some sort of test that needed to be completed in order to become a sage. The task and reward for completing this test was said to be finding a copy of the sage's code, the Book of Satori, inside the tower."

"Even if that's true, wouldn't the last copy of this book have been lost by now?" asked Suzanne.

"Not necessarily. Given the knowledge the sages had of magic, both the books and clerics acknowledge that these Books of Satori may not have even been physically written by the sages so much as conjured into existence," Alice explained. "The tower itself is said to be a magical structure. Who knows? Maybe it's the tower itself that creates the books."

"Besides that, the history of the Temple of Dhama suggests that it was where new sages were initiated. We've heard of the strange powers that the clerics here have. Maybe this is how new sages were made," Alice theorized. "They got the book and then they came here to become a sage. What do you guys say?"

"Considering that Susie here practically is a sage, I think it's pointless," said Ron.

Suzanne shook her head and answered, "I may have some skill with the two kinds of magic, but not anywhere near as much as the sages did. I'm definitely no sage."

"Oh well, I've already gotten bored from hanging around here the last few days. If it'll give us something to do, I say why not?" Ron said.

"What are your thoughts Thomas?" asked Suzanne.

"I highly doubt that we'll find this Book of Satori inside the tower. Even if we did, there's no guarantee that Alice is correct and that all one needs to be a sage is to come here with the book. Though I do agree having a sage would be a great advantage," Thomas answered. "If we're going to do this, we should do so with caution. No sense in putting ourselves in too much danger over a long shot like this."

"I agree. We'll make an effort to find this book, but if the going gets too tough, we'll head back and call it a day," Suzanne said.

* * *

It took a day's journey through the mountains surrounding the Temple of Dhama to reach the Tower of Garuna. As they entered the tower, they walked through a small hallway lined with statues, some of which holding staves and some others holding weapons and shields.

"I'm guessing these are statues of the ancient sages," said Alice.

The group came to the main lobby area of the tower. From this room there were two hallways in front of them to the left and right, and three rooms: one directly in front of them and two to their sides. The group went inside the room on the right and found a woman standing there. However, this woman was semi-transparent.

"Who are you?" asked Suzanne.

"Life is pilgrimage toward enlightenment and salvation. I welcome you to the Tower of Garuna," said the woman. As she talked, her image flickered and the group even thought she would disappear completely.

"Are you some sort of guardian for this tower?" asked Alice.

"Life is pilgrimage toward enlightenment and salvation. I welcome you to the Tower of Garuna," the woman repeated.

"I'm thinking it's just a message. She'll reply with the same phrase no matter what we say to her," said Alice.

The group proceeded to the room across from the one they entered, the one that had been to the left when they had entered. Inside they found a similar flickering image of a woman.

"Are you another message?" Suzanne asked the image.

"If you possess the Book of Satori, a sage you may become," replied the image.

"See? I told you guys! That must mean this Tower has the book in it and that with it, one of us can become a sage!" Alice said triumphantly.

"It doesn't mean there's a book in this tower. It doesn't even mean that there ever was a book in this tower," said Thomas.

"Don't be such a spoil-sport Tom!" Alice said angrily. "I know there's a book in this tower! I just know it!"

The group proceeded into the room that was directly across from the entrance. Inside they found a spinning blue vortex, similar to the one they had found inside the Cave of Enticement.

"Is that a Traveler's Gate?" asked Suzanne.

"It must be. Ron, would you do the honors?" replied Alice.

Ron went through the Traveler's Gate. Like last time, he spun around and around at an alarming rate. As he emerged on the other side of the gate, he was unable to stay standing and fell to the ground. His comrades emerged after a few seconds and shared similar experiences.

Alice groaned as she hit the floor, "I forgot how much I hated the one back in Aliahan."

The group was teleported just outside a large room somewhere else in the tower. After regaining their senses, the group entered the room. Inside they found four creatures that looked like giant bird heads with legs but no torsos. The four creatures had been facing the entrance to the room and immediately sprung at the group to attack.

"We've got company!" yelled Ron.

The group quickly drew their weapons and Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas cut the four creatures off. Alice sent a stream of fire at the giant bird heads and burned all four of them pretty badly, though all of them survived. One of the bird heads came up between Ron and Suzanne and pulled off a quick maneuver as it pecked at Suzanne while leaping and scratching Ron with its legs. Another bird pulled off a similar maneuver on Suzanne and Thomas. One bird went up and both pecked and scratched Ron. The last bird ran past the front line at Alice but pecked Thomas as it did so.

Suzanne tried to block the blows coming at her but only managed to block one, taking a beak to the shoulder. She returned with a slash to the attacker who had scored the hit, taking its legs off the rest of it. The bird head fell to the ground, dying and incapacitated. Ron was also only able to block one of the attacks aimed at him but scored a great wound down the middle of the bird head that had focused on only him. It fell dead to the ground, almost cut in half.

Thomas was unable to block the creature's strikes and tried to stop the one from getting to Alice. He managed to stab it in the back just before it left his reach and the creature fell to the ground and rolled into a wall. The bird did not get up after that and appeared dead. Suzanne and Ron focused on the last enemy left and killed it, but not before it scored another peck to Suzanne's side.

"Damn, those things were pretty agile! I wouldn't believe that those things could attack with their beak and their legs at the same time," said Ron.

"Those things were definitely capable of dealing a flurry of blows. Luckily they couldn't get too much force behind them," said Suzanne.

Alice looked around the room and found that nothing else was to be found inside. "I wonder if these things aren't part of this test. There doesn't seem to be anything else here. Seems like this dead end was made on purpose for these things to catch whoever went through," she theorized.

The group went back through the Traveler's Gate. This time, they were ready for the dizziness and kept their feet, though they still needed a few seconds to regain their senses. They went down the hallway to the right as they exited the room and quickly found another room on the left. Inside was a chest containing some gold. They returned to the hallway and found it took a turn to the right after a while.

Soon after the turn were two rooms on both sides of the hallway. Both led to ascending staircases. As usual, the group decided not to go up a staircase until they had explored the entire floor. They went further down the hallway and took another right turn. The group guessed that this would lead to the other hallway they had found. On their left was a second exit to the tower. The group passed by and went further down until they almost returned to the lobby they had entered into. They found one more dead end room and returned to the two stairs they had found and took the one on the west side.

They went up the staircase and came to a room that had only another ascending staircase. They went up this one and came to a dead end. They went back down the two sets of staircases they had gone up and went to the other ascending staircase. This one led to a very large room. The group could see another ascending staircase and a treasure chest in the middle of the room. Blocking their path to these two things was a large crack in the ground.

"This could be a problem. Even if we take our armor off and leave our bags, there's no way we'll make that jump," said Suzanne.

"It doesn't look like we can fall down and just climb back up either. The floor is completely smooth in this spot, not that we'd be able to reach it from below anyway. We can't climb up there from downstairs. I'm guessing this was put here on purpose, not a result of wear and tear," said Ron.

"There weren't any other ways to go in the tower either. If this is part of the test, I don't know how we're going to get past it," said Thomas.

"Let's recheck the bottom floor, there's has to be a way past this!" said Alice.

The group returned to the ground floor and continued searching. The group ended up going through the second exit they had passed by and found that there was actually a small tower just outside. As they looked above them, they could see that the small tower was connected to the main tower by a rope. The group ascended to the top of the small tower and found the rope went inside the main tower.

"Looks like we're going to have to get across this rope," said Ron. "Everyone have their buckles ready. It won't do you good to fall."

The group used their climbing gear to get across the rope back into the main tower. They found a room with a descending staircase. The group went back down to the ground floor and found another Traveler's Gate.

"Damn it, not another one!" complained Alice.

The group took the Traveler's Gate and found themselves in a plus-sign shaped room, with a set of ascending stairs on each part of the plus-sign besides the one they had come in on. The group took the stairs to their right first. They came to another room with only another set of ascending stairs. After this set, they were in a small room with a chest in it. Alice checked the chest to find it was actually a monster.

"Another trap?" asked Thomas.

The group returned to the plus-sign and took the stairs directly across from the Traveler's Gate. This one led to an odd crescent shaped room that had two more sets of ascending stairs in it. The party took the ones to the right and found themselves in another room. Inside this one, however, were two large goat-looking creatures.

"Giant cattle!" Ron shouted, laughing as he did so.

Two of the large goats charged at the group while the other two hung back. Alice sent a stream of fire at them only to find two of them resist the effects of the spell, one that was charging and one that had hung back. Suzanne finished off the burned one while avoiding its horns.

Ron took some horns to his arm but returned with a strike that took one horn and part of the creature's skull off. Although badly wounded, the creature was still able to fight. Thomas, however, came up and made the creature unable to fight and dead by stabbing it in the midsection.

The two that hung back had both been casting spells. Two streams of fire engulfed the group and gave them burns of their own. Alice stayed back and decided not to use the magic on another spell while the other three ran up to finish the goats. Ron and Thomas finished one off while Suzanne gave the other goat a good slash to the ribs though she was unable to kill it. The creature took its horns to her leg but was soon finished off as Suzanne stabbed it through the head.

Alice chuckled as Thomas went on his healing rounds, "Of course they'd put magic-users in their test."

"Yeah, it'd be silly if we didn't get burned while we went through here," Ron answered sarcastically.

The room they were in had been empty besides the goats. The group went back down the stairs to the crescent shaped room. They took the other set of stairs in the room and came to an L-shaped room with more stairs going up. This in turn led to more stairs going up. This time, the group found themselves in an open room with another rope leading to another part of the tower.

"Looks like we've got another rope to traverse," said Ron. He got out his buckle and was about to hook it to the rope when Suzanne stopped him.

"Wait! There's something coming!" warned Suzanne. She pointed in the air where a large creature was flying towards them. The odd thing was that the creature did not seem to have wings but looked to be a large serpent of some sort, slithering through the air as though it were ground.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Ron.

"It's a dragon!" gasped Alice.

"Be on your guard guys! You've heard the stories!" yelled Suzanne.

The dragon slithered towards the group. As it came within range, Alice sent an exploding fireball at it. But the dragon shrugged it off as though it were nothing. The dragon pulled up just before entering the room the group was in and reared its head back.

"Take cover!" yelled Suzanne.

The dragon let out a burst of flame at the group. The four managed to avoid the most of it, though all of them still took serious burns in the blaze. Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas ran at the beast with their weapons, careful not to fall out of the tower. They managed to score good hits to the creature's midsection.

The dragon returned by biting Ron in the midsection. Alice sent a bolt of ice at the beast while Thomas healed Ron's wounds. Suzanne and Ron managed to finish the dragon off with slices to its head. The dragon fell from the sky.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Alice. "Do you guys realize what we just did? We just fought and killed a dragon! How many people can say they've done that?"

"Rather coincidental that it was flying by just as we came up here," observed Thomas as he healed the group from their burns. "I'm guessing that's the guardian of this tower."

"Hey, I don't think we visited that part of the tower," observed Suzanne, pointing to where the creature fell.

"There is one staircase we haven't tried yet," said Ron. "Maybe it would lead there?"

The group proceeded across the rope to the other side of the tower. They found two staircases, one going up and one going down. The ascending staircase led to a chest with an iron helmet in it. The other one led to a dead end. The group backtracked all the way back to the plus-sign shaped room on the ground floor and took the staircase they hadn't taken yet. After going up another flight of stairs after that, they came to a chest with some more gold in it.

"Well, that's all the stairs. We still haven't gotten back to that room we saw across the pit with the stairs and chest in it," said Ron.

"Let's return to the floor where we fought the dragon. I swear we haven't been in the area it fell yet," Suzanne suggested.

"Of course, with all the Traveler's Gates and staircases going up and down, it's hard to tell where we've been," said Thomas.

The group returned to the floor where they had fought the dragon. The dragon's corpse was still on the top the spire between the two spires they had been on.

"Alice, can you take some rope and use your magic to fall to that floor? Then we can all get down there safely," suggested Suzanne.

Alice did as she was told and soon the whole group was on the top of the middle spire of the tower. The middle spire was completely open to the sky. The group found that there were three small grey figures huddled around the dragon's corpse.

"Are those slimes?" asked Alice.

"They look like they're encased in metal," observed Ron.

The slimes heard the group and immediately turned around. Two of the grey slimes ran away immediately and jumped off the tower while one cast a spell and sent a fireball at the Suzanne. The group quickly got their weapons out to defend themselves from the small creature. Alice sent an exploding fireball at it but it did not seem to affect it at all. Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas took their weapons to it only to find their strikes glanced off the slime, which was indeed encased in metal.

The last metal slime hopped away from the group at great speed and jumped off the tower as well. The group went to watch its descent, thinking it was going to splatter as it hit the ground. However, the slime hit the ground and hopped away at the same great speed as though it were nothing.

"That was strange," said Ron. "But I guess they probably didn't want to fight us anyway. The one probably only stayed back to cover the others' escape."

"Those were metal slimes!" exclaimed Alice. "This tower is full of wonders!"

"Don't get so excited, we've seen plenty of enemies that are little more than stronger versions of other enemies," replied Ron.

"No, you don't understand. Metal slimes are incredible. Ancient legends say that whoever can slay metal slimes will be given great power. According to the books, people used to obsessively hunt the creatures, hoping for power," explained Alice.

"Well, they don't seem interested in fighting much," replied Suzanne. "Unless they really try to kill us, I say we just leave them alone."

The group checked the top of the spire. There were no stairs but there was another crack in the tower leading down. Once again, Alice used her magic to descend and bring the rope down so the others could follow. Now they were in a large room with one descending staircase. As they went down, they found themselves on the other side of the gap they had not been able to cross before next to the chest they could not reach.

"Looks like we were supposed to fall off that rope," said Suzanne. "Interesting design."

Alice checked the chest and opened it. Inside was a book that looked as though it had just been printed yesterday. The book was written in an old language that the group could not read. Alice, however, recognized the title.

"I saw this in the libraries," she gasped. "The title says, 'Satori.' This is it! This is the book of Satori!"

* * *

The group returned to the Temple of Dhama with the Book of Satori in their possession. After some studying of the book, Alice found that the most important aspect of being a sage was the pursuit of knowledge. Since no other member of the group was as dedicated to learning as she was, the group decided it was she who should become a sage. Alice took the book to the high priest of Dhama and, after a short ceremony, she officially became the first sage since the First Great War.

With just under three months to spare still, Alice studied and honed in her new skills, with the help of the rest of the group. It was like Alice was back in school all over again, with the rest of the group as her teachers. She remained the group's best arcane magic user and continued to study that as she had been.

Ron and Suzanne taught her how to fight with heavier weapons and in heavy armor. Thomas taught her how to use some basic spiritual magic. They even gave her the iron helmet that they had found in the tower, though it looked silly with her cloak of evasion. The group decided they would get her a sword and armor of her own the next time they went shopping.

* * *

Author's Note: Please review if you have some time.


	13. Chapter 12: Reconnaissance

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 12: Reconnaissance

"It is said that whoever can gather the six orbs can travel anywhere they wish without a ship," said the man at the shrine. "It's a Portogan legend that has faded from the minds of our people since the Second Great War."

After the group had their first, short voyage on the _Mad Hound_, the ship that King Saldor of Portoga had given them, the group had stopped by a shrine to the south of the castle town. The ship's captain, Captain Marbeley, had insisted on stopping by the shrine as it was custom to pray there for a day before a long voyage.

Besides that, Alice had wanted to conduct some advanced magical spells that would make their journey with the ship easier. Alice managed forge a link between herself and the ship so that if she cast a teleportation spell, she could take the ship along with her and drop it in the nearest spot of water connected to the ocean. This proved to be her first act as a sage as this was apparently a common incantation for sages to make in ancient times.

"Kind of strange for a nation so focused on the sea and on ships to have a legend encouraging other means of transportation, isn't it?" asked Alice.

"In ancient times, our culture was not so focused on ships as it was on exploration. Because of the Second Great War, our people turned from the old ways and have since favored more militaristic views," the man said sadly. "We have forgotten our legends and traditions and instead focus on building warships and improving our navy. Don't get me wrong, it's important that we protect our land from threats. But it depresses me that we have sacrificed some of our culture to do so."

"Tell me more about this legend," pressed Suzanne. "How does one travel anywhere without a ship?"

"I'm afraid that that piece of information was either never known or lost," apologized the man. "Nor do we know what these six orbs are or how they are used. I'm sorry I cannot tell you."

"Hey!" called a high-pitched voice from the back of the room. "We're all ready to depart when you are!"

The call came from Captain Marbeley. The man did not look like your typical ship captain. He was slight of build and short of stature. His voice sounded less like the tough voice of a seasoned explorer and more like a whining teenager. The group had heard that he was ridiculed among other sailors and was said to have been given his name because he "lost his marbles."

"Indeed," Ron had laughed. "It'd take a sailor without all his marbles to offer to follow us around on a journey like ours!"

That had been one of the strange things about the captain. The group had come to find out that he had volunteered for the job when the king had been forced to make good on his promise. When asked about it, the captain had answered much the same way as the man the group now talked to, "We used to be a nation of exploration. Now we focus more on weaponry and armor. I don't mind fighting, but it's not my favorite thing to do. I want to see things. I want to hear things. I want to go where no man has gone before."

* * *

"Of all the unprofitable excursions. I know I'm being paid to do this, but you guys could still make it easier on me. That, or you could increase my salary," came a familiar voice as the group approached the _Mad Hound_.

The group found that they were in need of someone to handle their finances. They needed someone to keep track of inventory, including what they acquired from slain monsters that could be sold, and someone to pay the crew of the _Mad Hound_. The group had hired their old friend Bill to not only handle their finances but to also give them financial advice. They hoped that in doing so the cost of paying him would be outweighed by the money he saved them. Besides that, everyone but Thomas was glad to have the merchant on board.

"It wasn't completely unprofitable," said Suzanne with a smile. "We heard some interesting stories and may have found the answer we're looking for."

The question that Suzanne was referring to was how to pick up intelligence on the Archfiend's doings. The group thought that they could get Portoga to join the Romalian Empire and Isis if they could show King Saldor the Archfiend's forces. However, the eastern side of Tarasia was almost completely surrounded by the Necrogond Mountains. The small portion that was not blocked off by the mountains was cut off from the rest of the region by a river. The only way to get eyes on the Archfiend was to climb the mountains and none who had made the attempt had returned to tell the tale.

"In some old legend?" asked Thomas skeptically. "That legend was probably nothing but a nursery rhyme."

"That's funny because that nursery rhyme we heard in Isis ended up helping out. People can store important pieces of information in the most innocent places. You just need to have your eyes, ears, and mind open," Alice replied.

"I'm sorry to break up your interesting conversation," cut in Bill with a hint of sarcasm, "but time is money. Shouldn't we be on our way?"

"You're quite right Bill," said Suzanne. "Give them the signal Ron."

"Hey Captain!" shouted Ron. "Time to head out!"

* * *

The group had decided to take a look at Tarasia right away. If they got attacked and things went south, they'd only need to hold their own long enough to separate themselves from the monsters and teleport away. Of course, if they were set upon by an army of monsters, it would be impossible to escape once they had been engaged. Thus, the group would need to be careful to watch for large groups of monsters.

One of the men in the shrine had also mentioned the city-state of Jipang far to the southeast. The city was almost directly east of Baharata, but would require the team to sail around Tarasia and then around the southern side of Dalmath, the continent to the east of the Romalian Empire on which was Baharata. The team planned to spend about a day or so checking out Tarasia and then would continue on to Jipang. If their maps and information were accurate, the city was about 11 days away.

Captain Marbeley had warned the team that they still had to be ready for battle even on the ship. Monster activity had dramatically increased on the seas, making sea travel difficult. The captain assured the team that between the archers and the wizard they had on board they could definitely keep the monsters from damaging the ship. But the monsters tended to take to the ship's deck after taking a few shots and the crew was not skilled in melee combat. If boarded, it would be up to the four to defend the _Mad Hound_ and her crew.

"Captain! We have squishies!" called one of the crew. The other men did not need to wait for the captain's order. All the men on deck quickly grabbed their bows, arrows, and throwing weapons and went to the sides of the ship. The ship's wizard came up from his cabin with a spell on his lips.

"What are squishies?" asked Suzanne to the captain as he readied his own bow and arrows.

"Groups of marine slimes and men o' war," answered Captain Marbeley. "The marine slimes are mere distractions. They do little damage on their own but their tough shells and resistance to magic make them difficult to kill. The men o' war are the true threats in such a group. They're white slimes with tentacles. Their touch can numb a man, though they can't deal much pain."

"Just like those giant bees around Kanave," remembered Ron.

"The group tries to overwhelm crews with numbers and the men o' wars numbing abilities," continued Marbeley. "Or they show up with more powerful foes."

The group took out their weapons and waited to be called upon. Alice offered to help the men defend the ship, but Suzanne called her back, saying that they'd need her magic to bring a quick end to any fight on deck should the monsters manage to board. After a few minutes, it did not seem as though the four would need to fight when a call came from one of the crew.

"Help! They're crowding this side!" called the man. Then they heard him groan, more in frustration then in pain, as he dropped his bow and one of his arrows overboard, his arms having gone numb. The man had been overwhelmed by three men o' wars while four marine slimes, probably having blocked some of the arrows shot at the less armored men o' wars, were already going after a nearby crew member as he started to retreat.

"Alice, you heard the captain. Take out the men o' wars!" called Suzanne.

Alice sent a stream of fire at the men o' wars and sent two of them to their fiery deaths. One had managed to resist the attack and was rounding on the group. The four marine slimes also took notice of the group. Suzanne charged the remaining man o' war and sliced the creature in half, but not before taking a shocking touch to her sword arm. She felt the arm trying to go numb but succeeded in fighting the numbness off.

Ron and Thomas, seeing the men o' wars taken care of, went at the four marine slimes. They found that the marine slimes were indeed well armored. The four all ganged up on Thomas. Although they could not deal much pain individually, Thomas ended up taking many scratches to his legs and sides and he realized they could be dangerous in numbers. Suzanne joined the melee and the three were able to take care of the remaining enemies, though Thomas took some more wounds. It was nothing life threatening however.

"That went really well," remarked Ron after the battle.

"Don't get too cocky," said the captain as he walked over to the four. "I've seen groups of six men o' war make their way on deck. That can lead to a sticky situation. Then again, your wizard seems to do a good job of taking care of them. Maybe you'd handle such a group handily as well. Either way, I'm glad you guys are capable of defending the deck."

* * *

After four days of sailing the group decided to dock in southern Tarasia. The group had the ship sail down a river in order to get deeper into the region and they disembarked into a forest.

"Maybe it's because I was expecting to be fighting the moment we set down, but everything seems quiet," pointed out Ron.

"Too quiet," replied Suzanne. "Do you guys hear that?"

The rest of the group shook their heads. "That's just it," said Suzanne. "No animals. Whether it is animals or monsters, you can usually hear something, especially in a forest like this. The only sounds I hear are the ones we're making."

"Nonetheless, this won't help our case for a proving that there's a huge monster army gathering," noted Thomas.

The group proceeded south through the forest and it was then they heard a noise.

"Yesterday's meal was lacking. We need more explorers out here. I haven't had good meat in a long time," said a voice from out of the forest.

"Have the hags found anything? I swear, I wonder why we keep them around," said another voice.

"Calm yourself. They can't find anything if there's nothing to be found. It'll be a while before we need them for dinner," replied the first voice.

Suzanne motioned for the group to keep their own voices down and said, "Did you hear that, it sounds like people!"

"Apparently King Saldor was right, humans haven't been eradicated from this region," said Thomas.

"They sound like nomads. By the sounds of it, it must be hard to find food out here. Maybe the Archfiend has killed many of the animals as well as killing many humans," suggested Alice. "That would explain why we haven't heard any animals around here."

"Let's talk to them," said Suzanne. "We can figure out what has been happening around here."

The group approached the voices and found that the voices came from two oddly dressed people. The two were wearing green fur and blue masks that covered all but their eyes. The group approached with their hands raised to show that they meant no harm. However, the two men took battle stances.

"Look! Food!" said one. "See, we don't need those hags to help us! Food has come to us!"

"They're armed, we still need their help," said the other. He threw a strange stone into the air which began to emit a bright red glow. At the glow, two of the ugliest women the group had ever seen approached, flying on broomsticks. The women were dressed in a little less strange a manner, in gray cloaks with straw hats.

The women cackled as they approached and cried out in unison, "May the Archfiend bless this hunt!"

The group, realizing that they had accidentally approached some of the enemy, quickly put their hands to their weapons. However, since they had come out with their hands up, the enemies were able to act quickly. The two women flew at the group and clawed at them with their hands. Their nails were inhumanly sharp and gave some decent scratches to Ron and Suzanne. One of the men ran at the group and punched Thomas with inhuman strength in the stomach, sending him falling backwards. The other man cast a spell and the group was engulfed in a stream of fire, the stronger version that Alice was so fond of.

Alice quickly reacted to the attacks and cast her own stream of fire spell back at the men. They were badly burned, but nowhere near out. Ron and Suzanne both focused on one of the women and sent her flying off her broomstick with two horrible slash wounds to her midsection. The other witch broke off and cast a healing spell, the stronger version that Thomas now used, at one of the men.

Thomas and his opponent traded blows as Thomas took a hard hit to his leg but returned with a stab to the man's shoulder. Meanwhile, the spellcasting man that was still hanging back cast another spell. Bright yellow light, seemingly coming from the sky, shone down on the mortally wounded woman. Before the group's eyes, her wound closed up enough and her bleeding stopped enough for her to get back up, grab her broomstick, and start flying around again.

"That's a powerful healing spell!" warned Thomas. "Take out the men or they'll be able to heal almost any wound the others take!"

Heeding Thomas' advice, Alice sent another stream of fire at the men. The one Thomas had been fighting with finally succumbed to his wounds. Seeing the man in the back preparing a spell to bring him back, Suzanne sprinted over to the man and ran him through. The non-wounded woman cast a healing spell on the other witch. Although the other witch had made a remarkable recovery thanks to the spell of one of the men, she was still bleeding and noticeably wounded. However, with the other woman's spell, she looked as though she had not been fighting at all.

The now fully-recovered woman flew at Alice and gave her some scratches across the face. Thomas took advantage of the attacking woman's low flight and stabbed at the woman's back, catching her ribs. Suzanne came over and cut one of the woman's legs off, while also cutting her broom stick in half. The woman fell to the ground with a chilling scream. Ron managed a good slash to the last remaining enemy, almost taking her arm off. The woman tried to put up one last bit of resistance, but the group took her down.

As Thomas began to make his healing rounds, Ron and Suzanne went up to the still-living one-legged woman.

"Why did you attack us?" demanded Suzanne, as Ron held his axe to her neck. "What did we do to anger you?"

The woman returned Suzanne's question with a spiteful glare, and began trying to cast a spell. At the sign of magic being used, Ron put the woman out of her misery.

"Did you hear what they said as they started attacking us?" asked Ron. "They looked at us and cried out, 'Food!'" Ron looked at their fallen enemies in utter disgust. "They must be cannibals."

"Not only that, but the women cried out, 'May the Archfiend bless this hunt,'" recalled Suzanne. "Besides being cannibals, they must be serving the Archfiend."

"And yet they were in command of advanced healing spells. That one spell the man used was the kind of magic that could have saved Susie's arm on the spot back in the pyramid," said Thomas grimly.

"Maybe their service to the Archfiend has caused it to gift them with great magical power," suggested Alice.

As night approached, the group continued their investigation. Thankfully, they did not run into any more cannibals, though they did meet some monsters about. As the forest grew darker, the group was about to set up camp when they spotted some lights just outside the forest. The group went forward to investigate and found a strange town just outside the forest.

"Be careful guys," warned Suzanne. "We could be walking into a village of those cannibals."

The group went forward to investigate and found a town in bad shape. All the buildings were damaged, if not completely destroyed. However, the people went about their business as though their homes were not in such a state and as though it were not the middle of the night. The people were dressed normally and did not react violently to the group's approach. They were warmly greeted by people as they entered the town.

Suzanne warned the group to keep ready, in case the friendly act was just a ruse. The group approached a man inside the local inn and asked him what had happened to the town.

"Excuse me sir," approached Suzanne. "What happened to this town?"

"Whatever do you mean, young missy?" asked the man.

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said anything. But I was curious to know what attacked this town? Was it the Archfiend?" asked Suzanne.

"What makes you think this town was attacked?" asked the man, who seemed genuinely confused.

"The destroyed buildings all over the place," said Suzanne with a voice of sympathy.

"Where are these destroyed buildings?" asked the man, now starting to chuckle. "I know this isn't the most glamorous town, but I'd hardly say anything has been destroyed."

"The man must be in denial or something," whispered Ron. "Let's ask someone else."

However, as the group questioned more people, they found much of the same thing. Nobody seemed to think their town was in such a state of disrepair. The group decided to split up in order to investigate the town.

As Suzanne wandered the town, she found a house on the outskirts surrounded by a large puddle of purple liquid. This liquid was known to be found in some areas. It was incredibly hot and had a vile magic about it that caused it to burn a person with even the most reinforced boot. There was not too much of it, however, so Suzanne carefully walked across the vile liquid. She found an old man inside the house.

"Excuse me, sir, but why do you stay here surrounded by this vile liquid? Or are you unable to get out because of it?" Suzanne asked. No sooner had she finished her sentence that she realized that, like the destruction of the buildings, the man was probably unaware of the liquid outside his doorstep.

"You must be strong to come here, young traveler," said the man. "We don't see many travelers around here anymore. Could I give you a suggestion?"

Suzanne was surprised to find the man seemed aware of the liquid, "Um, sure."

"To continue your travels, you'll need the Final Key. About two days' journey south of Baharata is the town of Lancel. You will find more information and resources there," explained the man.

"How do you know I'll need this key?" asked Suzanne.

"They call it the Final Key for a reason," chuckled the old man. "It is the final key you will ever need. It can open _any_ door. And I mean any door. It can break even the most powerful magical enhancements. You could be in the most guarded prison on the planet and this key would get the door open for you."

"I'll think about this. Thank you for the information," said Suzanne.

The group met back at the inn. They were afraid to enter the building as it was so damaged it looked as though it would fall over at any moment. Ron and Alice were in great spirits as they told the group what they found.

"You should see the equipment they have for sale here!" said Ron. "It's some of the finest craftsmanship I've ever seen! I never thought I'd see anything like it!"

"It's not just the craftsmanship," said Alice, just as excitedly. "Some of the equipment is enchanted! They sell swords blessed to destroy undead! The armor will grant its wearer resistance to offensive magic!"

"Are you serious?" asked Suzanne. "With all the magic we've come up against recently, that would be of great help."

The group decided to buy some of the equipment before turning in. Due to its great craftsmanship and enhancements, the equipment had understandably high prices. Although the group had procured quite a bit of money, they found they still could not afford everything. Everyone got a set of the magic armor. Since Alice still needed an adequate weapon, they bought one of the swords, which the store keeper called zombie slashers, for her.

Finally, the group decided it was time to get some rest. Their curiosity over the town had kept them from waiting until the morning to check the town out, but now the group had to succumb to sleep. Not trusting the damaged inn, the group set up camp just outside of town. In the morning, the group reentered the town and found an eerie scene.

"They're all gone!" said Suzanne, completely amazed. "Where are they!"

"I think I might know," said Alice, with a grim voice that did not often come from her. "Those people we saw were not just people. They were ghosts. This town must actually have been destroyed by the Archfiend. Somehow, the spirits of the people remained here, living as though it had never happened."

"At least our equipment was real," said Ron. The armor and sword the group had just purchased remained tangible.

However, when the group investigated the town, they found no sign of the money they had paid for the gear. It had vanished along with its shopkeeper. There was no sign of the shopkeeper's stock either.

"Truly remarkable," mused Alice. "The ghostly shopkeeper has taken his money with him. He must be related to Bill."

Wondering why the ghosts had been there when they had arrived, the group waited until nightfall. Sure enough, when the sun ceased to shine on the land, the ghosts reappeared in the town, carrying about their business as though they had just awoken in the morning.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Alice. "What keeps these ghosts here, to show up every night?"

"It's sad is what it is," said Thomas. "Souls that cannot find rest, even in death."

"I have a feeling we shall return here," said Suzanne. "Not only to buy more of that equipment, but to unravel the mystery that surrounds this place."

* * *

Author's Note: You may notice that I skipped the Lamp of Darkness here. I don't know how to incorporate it into the story, nor do I think it's necessary. The purpose of the lamp is really to make the gameplay easier on the player. Rather than taking to the world map and fighting until night, the group can summon night whenever they want. But in a story like this, where time is not held in limbo in every place other than the world map, such a thing makes little sense. Plus, what does the lamp do in a story sense? Does it instantly summon night? Wouldn't that freak the people of the world out? Does it put the group in suspended animation until night? Why would they do that if they can just wait for night, maybe getting something done in the meantime? I don't see the Lamp of Darkness making it into the story.


	14. Chapter 13: Scavenger Hunt

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 13: Scavenger Hunt

"I have to say, this is the exact reason I signed up for this journey. Just so I can spend half the time looking for more and more powerful keys," complained Ron.

The group had almost arrived in the town of Lancel, if the ghostly old man who had given Suzanne the information on the Final Key was correct. The group had tried out Alice's teleportation spell to get the group and the ship near Baharata. The group had then decided to take the rest of the day off. They had two reasons for doing so: the increased strain of teleporting the ship took a great deal of magic from Alice and it also happened to be her eighteenth birthday. The group rested up and celebrated the occasion, though Bill complained about the wasted day.

After two days of journeying at sea, the group found their information had been accurate when one of the crewmen of the _Mad Hound_ reported seeing land. The _Mad Hound _had come across a large island. The island was bigger than most, but still easily dwarfed by the island of Aliahan. Not far away from reaching land came the appearance of a small town. The group got their things together and was heading into town.

"Well if that ghost knew what he was talking about, this will be the last time we need to find a key. Might as well get it out of the way now," said Suzanne.

"That's what we thought about the last two keys. I'm willing to bet there's a door that could fool this Final Key," said Ron.

Suzanne thought about what Ron said and asked, "Hey Alice, do you know anything about this Final Key?"

"There's been a lot of tales and legends of magical keys that could open a variety of doors. I can't say I've ever heard one about a key that could open any door but that isn't to say there hasn't ever been one," replied Alice.

"I don't buy it," said Thomas. "Best case scenario in my opinion is that we find a key that can open some doors that our current keys cannot, but I doubt such a magnificent item exists or ever has existed. And even finding another magic key is a stretch. It's not like such items are just lying around all over the place for people to find them, or they would have been found by now. I think we're wasting our time."

"Bill thought it might be worth the risk," reasoned Suzanne. "Sure there's a good chance this is a waste of time, but if it isn't, then surely the reward outweighs the risk of a few days."

* * *

The group decided to split up to find information in the town of Lancel. As the town was not the big, the group believed they could find any information to be found before the afternoon had even ended. Ron decided to head to the local pub this time while Suzanne visited other hot spots such as the inn. Thomas and Alice went their own ways to see if there was anything else interesting in the town.

As Ron entered the pub, he found that it was somewhat well crowded, especially for a small town during the day. He quickly went to work asking questions, though not without enjoying himself a small amount. After some small interviews, Ron was pointed in the direction of Alten, the local storyteller. Ron left the pub and went to the storyteller's house where he found a younger man, looking to be in his late twenties or early thirties, inside.

"Hello," greeted Ron. "I'm looking for the local storyteller, Alten. I was told he might know about something I'd be interested in."

The man laughed and walked over to Ron to shake his hand, "You've found him. I'm Alten. Might I ask who you are?"

"My name is Ron. I'm a traveler," Ron introduced himself. "I'm sorry, but I was under the impression that storytellers are usually older."

"You'd be correct," replied Alten. "I only recently inherited this position from my grandfather. He knew a great deal of stories. I'm guessing that you're interested in the shrine on the northern outskirts of town?"

Ron shook his head, "No, I'm actually looking for something called the Final Key. It's a key that is supposed to open any door."

Alten looked surprised at the mention of the Final Key. "That's strange. My grandfather said that all public knowledge of that key vanished long ago. Nobody is supposed to know about it."

"If you'll believe me, my source on the matter is a ghost," replied Ron. "Not exactly the most reliable source, but it was an interesting story nonetheless. By the sounds of it, you don't know much about this key."

Alten's surprise was replaced with a smile as he answered, "I may not know much, but my grandfather told me where to look for the key. Have you heard of the kingdom of Eginbear?"

"I've heard a little bit about it. Not a whole lot," answered Ron.

"Eginbear is to the north of a kingdom called Portoga, a naval power. Have you heard of Portoga?" asked Alten.

"Oh yes, we've been to Portoga. Do you know how far north of Portoga this Eginbear is?" asked Ron.

"I believe about three days or so," replied Alten. "I must admit, I don't know if the key is in Eginbear itself. Even my grandfather's story was dated. He said he got it from his father, who got it from his father. Not the best chance of finding it but it would be a handy item to have. You may also want to pay a visit to the local item shop. The shopkeeper keeps a stock of another handy item you may need. I'm afraid that's all I know. Is there any other way I can be of help?"

Ron smiled and started for the door, "Oh no, you've been plenty of help already. I might check out that shrine you mentioned before we head out. Thanks for the information."

* * *

Alice, on the other hand, had already visited the local item shop. She was greatly intrigued by what she found there.

"I talked to this young woman out and about who told me you sell some great magic items here," said Alice. "Is that true?"

The shopkeeper, a somewhat heavy man looking to be in his late fifties, smiled politely and replied, "Well, we only sell one kind of magic item, but we've got a nice stock of it. Ever heard of invisibility herbs, young missy?"

"I've heard about some items and spells that can make a person invisible, but not an herb that could do so," replied Alice. "I'm guessing that's what these invisibility herbs do?"

"Oh yes. Ground them up and sprinkle them on yourself and some of your friends and you'll all turn invisible. Of course, the more you sprinkle on yourself the longer it lasts. If you use an entire herb on yourself, you'll be unseen for about an hour," explained the shopkeeper proudly.

"That's pretty useful!" exclaimed Alice. "Do you make these herbs yourself?"

"Yes I do. I may not look it, but I come from a long line of wizards and alchemists," replied the shopkeeper, his pride still evident in his voice. "Back during the Second Great War, my family lived in Eginbear Castle and sold many a magic item to the royalty and military there. Unfortunately, many of my families' recipes and abilities have faded since then. I assure you though, you won't find legitimate invisibility items of any sort anywhere anymore."

"Would you mind if I examined one of your herbs?" asked Alice. "I don't mean to be rude, but one cannot take such powerful enchantments lightly."

"Of course, of course!" said the shopkeeper enthusiastically. "I'm sure you'll find I've not been exaggerating in the slightest."

The shopkeeper gave one of the herbs, which were an odd blue and black in color, to Alice. Alice looked it over a little bit and cast some identifying and investigating spells on the herb. There was definitely a powerful enchantment living within the herb, the likes of which Alice had never seen. Alice could not help but get excited at holding such an item in her hands. Nevertheless, she remembered the rules of shopping and kept herself from showing any more excitement when she spoke again.

"These are some decent enchantments to be sure," she said, her voice now calm. Might I ask the price of one of these?"

"300 gold a piece," replied the shopkeeper, obviously now getting eager to make a sale.

"That's pretty steep for an herb, and by the looks and sounds of it this can only be used once. Nevertheless, I'll speak with my comrades and see if we could find a use for such an herb. I may be back later," replied Alice.

The shopkeeper seemed a little put out by what Alice said but kept a good amount of enthusiasm in his voice as he replied, "Yes, yes, of course, of course. Tell your friends about these handy items! Tell any you know! I'm sure you'll be back to buy at least a few of these!"

* * *

"You see? There has to be a Final Key? How could two people so far away from each other possibly have information on it otherwise?" asked Alice, excited.

The group had convened after their day of investigation to discuss what they found. They four decided that it would not hurt to have at least one invisibility herb along, since one could not know when such a useful item would come in handy. It seems that Thomas came across the shrine that Alten mentioned to Ron. However, there were only three entrances and all were closed off by doors with enchantments too powerful for the group's magic key.

"So we can be pretty sure it exists," said Ron.

"But why would information on this key be so spread out?" asked Thomas skeptically. "We hear all this information on it on the southern side of the map and now we have to go far to the north for either the key or the next piece of information. I find it hard to believe that we have to zigzag so much to find it."

"Either way, we now know there's a better chance it exists than before. And, we're forgetting that we would need to go to Eginbear anyway. We have to talk to the nation's ruler about the Archfiend," said Suzanne. "We can kill two birds with one stone."

The group teleported to Portoga and then, after allowing Alice to rest, set off for the north. The group found that the estimates on the distance between the two nations were actually exaggerated. The _Mad Hound_ hit an island, one even smaller than the one Lancel sat on, after only two days. Luckily, the capital of Eginbear was not very far in land. The group found the castle to be similar to a fortress as there were no open areas as far as the group could see and only one entrance. They walked up to the entrance and found a guard wearing silver armor guarding it.

"Halt! You are not allowed in here!" said the guard sternly.

"We're sorry for the unexpected visit," began Suzanne. "We are travelers hoping to have a word with your ruler. We mean no harm to you and will gladly surrender our weapons if need be."

"King Rogest would never associate with yokels such as yourself! Nor would the good people of this castle want to look on rabble such as yourselves. Your plea for entrance is denied! Be out of my sight or I will send for others and remove you by force!" threatened the guard.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience," apologized Suzanne, keeping her cool. She motioned for the rest of the group to go back outside.

"We could take that guy," said Ron, obviously angry at the guard's behavior. "We could probably take on the whole castle!"

"Keep quiet you fool!" whispered Thomas. "You don't want them to hear that! And I seriously doubt we could take the whole castle on, even if we wanted to. In case you've forgotten, those aren't monsters in there!"

"Interesting," said Suzanne thoughtfully. "Might we use the invisibility herb to gain access? That would certainly get us by the guard, if we made sure to be quiet."

"What about the other guards?" asked Thomas. "Or the people inside. We'll stick out like a sore thumb by the sounds of it."

"We may stick out, but if we get past that guard, I would think most of those inside would believe we were let in for whatever reason," guessed Suzanne. "If someone tries to throw us out or arrest us, we make a hasty retreat. It has to be worth a try."

Alice took out the invisibility herb purchased from the shop in Lancel and group it up. She then quickly sprinkled the powder on the four of them. The four were amazed to find that they could no longer see each other or themselves.

"My goodness!" exclaimed Ron, though he remembered to keep his voice down. "I can't even see my own arms! This is amazing!"

"We should be careful that this doesn't wear off while someone is looking straight at us," cautioned Suzanne. "Otherwise they'll know we snuck in. Do you know how long this will last on the four of us Alice?"

"I can't say for sure," replied. "The shopkeeper said it would last for an hour on one of us, but he never said how long if all four of us used the same herb. Plus, there's always the chance that he was exaggerating the time to help make the sale."

"Then we should hurry in, find a place to hide, and simply wait out the herb," said Suzanne.

The group rushed past the guard as quick as they could without making any noise. Despite their care, the guard apparently still heard the clanking of the group's armor, which they had forgotten to take off. However, the guard dismissed the noise as himself hearing things and the group quickly sought out a hiding spot. Unfortunately, it would seem the herb's duration was drastically reduced when used on so many people. After only five minutes of being invisible, the group found themselves able to see each other again after having turned a corner into a large hallway.

"Did anyone see us?" asked Ron, looking around.

"Doesn't look like it," said Alice. "Luckily we were turning a corner when it wore off."

"And lucky that nobody was coming," said Thomas.

"Well, we're visible now, so let's make the most of it," Suzanne suggested. "Despite our current goal, we should talk to the king first. If we're lucky, he'll give use free passage throughout the castle anyway. Of course, it'll be a bit difficult to ask him for such permission without letting on that we just snuck in."

The group did not take long to find the king's throne room. The four found that most of those inside the castle were well-dressed, obviously members of either the aristocracy or the nobility. As Suzanne guessed, not many turned an eye on the group. Those that did usually only scoffed and kept about their business. As the group neared the staircase leading up to the throne room, the group was cut off by two guards.

"Halt! What is your business?" asked the one on the right.

"We are here to talk to the king over urgent business," said Suzanne. "We are travelers who have a grave warning for the king. I assume you will need our weapons?"

The guard on the left looked confused. "I don't remember hearing about any travelers coming to warn his Majesty about anything. Did you have an appointment?"

"Of course they did!" said the guard on the right. "You know Bob, he'd never let anyone in unless they had permission. Especially a group dressed like this! Must be important indeed. I'm sure the messengers are just slacking again. I'll be sure to have a word with them when our shift is over."

The guard on the right turned his attention back to the group, "Follow us please. You are right, we will need your weapons. We will also have to take you over to our clerics to seal your magic. Standard procedure, I'm sure you expected it. This way please."

The group did as they were told and soon found themselves unarmed, unarmored, and with sealed magic. It was common procedure among nobility of any kind, though Emperor Vilisik had neglected those procedures on the group's last visit, since the group now had his complete trust.

The group came up to a wealthy, heavy man in his fifties sitting comfortably on his throne. The man looked quite cheerful as the group approached, something that surprised the four.

"Well, is not this a nice surprise!" said the king. "It's always nice to take a break from meeting with politicians and aristocrats. As I am sure you know, I am King Rogest, ruler of the kingdom of Eginbear. Might I ask who you are?"

The group introduced themselves and the king continued, "Are you citizens of Eginbear? I must admit you are dressed oddly."

"We are not, your Majesty," replied Suzanne.

"Of course not. Well, what brings commoners such as yourselves to my throne room?" asked King Rogest.

"Have you heard the stories of the Archfiend, who lives in Tarasia and is raising a vast army of monsters as we speak?" asked Suzanne grimly.

"Oh! I remember your names now! You are that group from Aliahan, going around warning everyone about that vile fiend!" said the king, apparently glad to have remembered where he had heard the four's names before. Suzanne, as usual, did not flinch upon realizing the king knew where they were from, though the other three looked at each other uneasily.

"I have heard from King Saldor and Emperor Vilisik. So you all are going around and trying to rally the nations against the Archfiend? Splendid goal, if I do say so myself. And I would guess that your hoping that the Kingdom of Eginbear will join the Romalian Empire and the Kingdom of Isis against the Archfiend?" asked the king.

"That is correct your Majesty," replied Suzanne.

The king gave a chuckle and continued, "Unfortunately, I will have to side with King Saldor on this matter. You see, we are not a very militant nation. Do not mistake me, we could easily defend this nation from any foreign threat, as much from other nations as the Archfiend, but it would cost a great deal of money to start producing weapons and raising an army to send off to some other land to fight a distant threat."

"While I have no doubt that your nation has excellent defenses, and while I also know how far away the Archfiend is from your land, I must ask you to reconsider," said Suzanne. "We took a brief trip to Tarasia and have found much of the devastation for ourselves. We came across only one human settlement, a settlement made up of ghosts, unknowing that they were destroyed by the Archfiend's forces. The only other humans we found were little more than monsters: they were given power by the Archfiend and now engage in cannibalism."

"A terrible story, and not the first time I have heard such news, but it is not our place to go crusading to faraway lands against such a foe," replied King Rogest.

"With all due respect, I think you underestimate the Archfiend's forces," pressed Suzanne. "You were probably little more than a small child when the last Archfiend attacked. History shows that these monsters are dangerous to all humans, not the ones in the immediate area. We need to work together to stop this Archfiend before it strikes at other lands!"

"From what I have learned in my history classes, other humans were more dangerous than the last Archfiend," said the king coolly, though the group could tell what he was insinuating. "Thus, you must understand my reluctance to just join such an alliance, after what happened to the last one."

The king than regained his friendly composure and continued, "Though, I may be able to help you. There is a group of people who may be willing to join you. To the west, on the continent of Malandoras are a warlike people called the Soo. They are a bit uncivilized, but they are always eager to get into a good fight. Sounds like just the people to help you with your cause."

"Thank you for the information, your Majesty," thanked Suzanne. "We'll be sure to check that out."

* * *

With the king's refusal to directly join their cause, the group decided to start investigating rumors on the Final Key. As usual, the group decided to split up in order to do so. Suzanne and Ron searched for social hot spots to ask questions at while Thomas and Alice went to the library. The group realized that they were on a time limit as there did not appear to be an inn or any such place inside the castle for visitors (other than VIP's) to stay, and it would take another invisibility herb to get back into the castle.

When Thomas and Alice went to the library, the two decided to let Alice handle the talking.

"Excuse me," said Alice to the librarian. "Would you happen to know anything about something called the Final Key?"

"The Final Key? Can't say that I've ever heard of it. What makes you ask?" replied the librarian.

"We've been searching for this key and we heard that it has ties to this castle. Do you know of any books that talk about keys or any local legends that speak of keys?" asked Alice.

"Nope, never heard of any extraordinary keys of any sort in books or in word. Sorry I can't help you," apologized the librarian.

At this point, Thomas had an idea, "Do you know of any magic items or any uncommon items in the castle?"

"I have heard of one," started the librarian. Then she became suspicious, "Wait a minute. This sounds an awful lot like a treasure hunt. How do I know you aren't thieves?"

"I assure you, we are not thieves," cut in Alice. "Besides, any such treasures are sure to be heavily guarded, am I right? We'd need permission to get anywhere near them. And we have no intention of investigating the castle defenses. If you don't believe us, you can monitor any and all books we read while we're here. Does that sound fair?"

After a moment of consideration, the librarian agreed. Thomas and Alice went to the books, though they could not help but notice that the librarian kept a strict eye on both them and the one door into the library.

"She did say that she heard of some sort of magic item in the castle," said Thomas. "I'm thinking that the key itself isn't here, but that the next clue is here."

"Hey, I thought you said you didn't believe the key was still around," teased Alice.

"I still don't. But that doesn't mean I can do a half-assed job investigating," replied Thomas, annoyed. "And I have to admit, if there is some clue or item here that is to be used to finding the key, than the chances get better and better that everything we've heard is true."

The group spent the entire day investigating any hint of the Final Key. The group met up as the sun was falling down in the sky.

"Well, we didn't find much from talking to the people, did you guys get anything in the library?" asked Suzanne.

"It's a long shot, but Tom came up with an idea, which we investigated," replied Alice.

"The librarian said she'd never heard of the Final Key. But I thought that maybe, rather than the key itself, there might be another clue or tool here towards getting the key. So we investigated any rumors of magic items around here and we believe we may have found something," explained Thomas.

"It seems that there's an artifact called the Vase of Drought here, or at least there's rumored to be. Supposedly, the vase is sealed underneath the castle somewhere," continued Alice. "It's supposed to be a powerful item capable of drying up water. I don't know what that has to do with the Final Key though. Maybe the Final Key is under a body of water somewhere? Like I said, it's a long shot."

"That's interesting. There's a basement to this castle that nobody really uses. There's some large rocks and water all over the place. If this vase is underneath the castle, maybe we should investigate that basement," suggested Ron.

"Before that, we should get the permission of the king to snoop around," said Suzanne. "Even if we found the vase, it'd be stealing to just go and take it."

The group decided to take another trip to the king's throne room. They were surprised to find that the guards who had stopped them earlier were gone. Realizing that the king may have already stepped off the throne for the day, they nevertheless decided to check the throne out. As they ascended the stairs, they heard something strange coming from the direction of the throne.

"Yes yes, raise the taxes in the northern region!" said a voice, though not that of the king's. "Have that man executed at once! I do not care if he is only guilty of petty theft, I want his head for this insolence! This is my kingdom! I can sentence anyone to death that I want! If you protest any more, I will sentence you to death as well!"

The group went to investigate the voice and found the king's chancellor, a thin man around the same age of the king's, sitting on the throne, and apparently pretending that he was king. Upon seeing the group, the man gave a scream similar to that of a young girl and hopped off the throne and into a corner.

The man turned his head towards the group and asked, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough I would suppose," answered Suzanne, fighting to keep from laughing. "Do you pretend to be king often?"

To the surprise of the four, the man immediately ran up to Suzanne and dropped to his knees, tears beginning to fall down his face, "Please, please do not tell his Majesty about this! Or anyone else for this matter! I heard that you are travelers! I can give you an interesting tip! There is this field on the eastern side of Malandoras, in the middle of a forest! Something interesting is happening there! You should check it out!"

"That's very interesting," began Suzanne. "But we were hoping to get help with something else."

"Anything! I will do anything! Just do not tell anyone!" cried the chancellor.

"Have you ever heard of the Vase of Drought?" asked Suzanne.

"I have heard of it. It is this treasure that is supposedly hidden within this very castle. But I have no idea where it is, I swear! I wish I could tell you where it is, but I do not know where it is!" yelled the chancellor.

"That's alright, keep your voice down or you'll accidentally tell someone what you did," said Suzanne. "How about this, if we find the vase, can you let us have it? We'll give it back once we're done with it, I assure you."

"That is fine, the king does not know where it is either, so he will never find out. Nobody here really cares about that artifact. Do we have a deal then?" asked the man nervously, though starting to regain his composure.

"We have a deal," assured Suzanne.

The group went into the basement of the castle. As Ron had told Thomas and Alice, there were three large boulders and some deep puddles of water in the room. The puddles were more like small ponds; they were deep enough to hold the boulders inside them. The group found a small chamber on the northern end of the room that had a decorated carpet at the end of it.

"I wonder why there's such a valuable-looking carpet here," mused Alice. "It's not even by a door or the stairs or anywhere where one would usually put a carpet."

"You said that the vase is sealed under the castle, correct?" asked Suzanne. After Alice nodded, Suzanne continued, "Maybe this carpet is somehow connected to unsealing the passageway? It doesn't make sense to put such a fine carpet in a dirty place like this otherwise."

"Hey guys, Tom and I have an idea!" Ron called from the main chamber. Suzanne and Alice returned to the main chamber to see what they had to say.

"We've been studying these boulders and this water and we think these also fit into the puzzle," said Ron. "The water is exactly as deep as it needs to go and fully engulf a boulder. If we were to put the boulders in there, we'd probably never get them out."

"What does that have to do with this?" asked Suzanne.

Thomas spoke up now, "After studying the positions of the boulders, we have determined that it would be difficult to get them in that chamber without accidentally putting them into the water. We think that maybe this is some sort of puzzle that needs to be solved. Maybe this seal we've read about is connected to getting these boulders into the chamber you were just in."

"Hey wait a second! Let me measure these boulders quick!" said Alice, suddenly excited. She took out a ruler and slowly and carefully measured the length of each of the boulders and found them to be exactly the same length. Then she went into the chamber and measured the carpet.

"I have an idea! This carpet is here to put the boulders on! The carpet is just big enough to put all three of the boulders on it side by side!" suggested Alice.

"These are some interesting coincidences," replied Suzanne thoughtfully. "Too many, I think, to be coincidences. Let's try it."

Ron went up to one of the boulders and examined it, pushing and pulling on it a little bit. "Judging by the size, only two people can push or pull it at one time. Since they're spherical and not all that rough, it will be difficult for us to pull it. Therefore, two of us will have to push it. The other two can help guide the pushers and also make sure they don't accidentally push it too far."

"Let's map out the room and the boulders and make a plan first," suggested Suzanne. "Like you guys said, this water is here to impede our progress, and we'll find it very difficult to get the boulders out if they go in. We have to make sure we don't get ourselves stuck."

After a few minutes of mapping out the room and planning how they would push the boulders, the team set to work. The two strongest of the team, Suzanne and Ron, decided to be the ones to push the boulders. Alice and Thomas consulted the map and the plan that had been drawn up to help guide them, while also making sure the boulders did not get away from them.

It took about a half hour of work, but eventually the four got the three boulders onto the carpet. Several streams of light emanated from the carpet and flew at the east wall of the chamber. After swirling around a section of the wall for a few seconds, that part of the wall disappeared entirely. Behind the disappeared section of wall was a small hallway. The group entered the hallway cautiously.

The hallway led to a small room in which laid an ordinary looking chest. After Alice checked to make sure it was not a monster, the group opened the chest. Inside the chest was a vase that looked as ordinary as the chest it was stored in. However, Alice checked the vase out and concluded that it was what they had been looking for.

"There is definitely some powerful magic in this thing, even though it doesn't look it. I'd say we found the Vase of Drought!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Only problem now is that we don't know how to use it, where to use it, or even if it has anything to do with the Final Key," replied Thomas.

* * *

Author's note: Unfortunately, this chapter and the chapter that comes after it will probably not have much action in it. Nevertheless, they are important to the plot. Please review if you find the time.


	15. Chapter 14: Malandoras

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 14: Malandoras

"Of all the dumbest ideas, this has to be one of the dumbest," criticized Bill.

"Well, we don't really have any clue as to how or where the Vase of Drought comes into play," admitted Suzanne. "For all we know, this interesting thing that the chancellor mentioned could have something to do with it."

"If I had to guess," said Alice, "it'd be that we're going to find some body of water there. And then we just use the Vase of Drought and maybe the Final Key will be at the bottom or something."

"I have to agree with Bill on this, this is the longest shot yet," said Thomas. "The chancellor said he heard it was in the castle, but he didn't sound sure. My guess is that he knows very little about the vase. Not to mention the fact that we don't know if the vase has anything to do with this Final Key at all, or that we have no proof that this Final Key is all that it's cracked up to be."

"You two have some better suggestions?" asked Ron. "I can't think of too many better things to do"

The group had returned to the _Mad Hound_ and sailed west. According to the most common world maps, the _Mad Hound_ had already sailed off the western edge of the map only to reappear on the eastern edge, due to the roundness of the world. They had been sailing for three days towards the continent of Malandoras.

The eastern hemisphere was something of a mystery to the western world, though admittedly one that few were willing to investigate. The whole eastern hemisphere was, for the most part, wild and untamed. Those humans that inhabited the two continents, Malandoras and Sisten to the south of Malandoras, were primarily nomads and barbarians. The kingdom of Samanao resided in the middle of Sisten but had recently sealed itself off from the rest of the world, much like Aliahan had. Unlike Aliahan, Samanao had offered little reason for its isolation.

The group had decided to check out Malandoras on the advice of both the chancellor and the king. The group had done a little research on the Soo that the king had mentioned, and found they resided in the middle of Malandoras, in a region with many rivers. Since the chancellor had told the group that there was something happening in a forest on the eastern side of Malandoras, the group decided to investigate that first since that would be closer.

"Hey! You four!" came the voice of Captain Marbeley. "We've got aerial foes coming this way! Hades' Condors by the looks of it!"

"Hades' Condors?" asked Suzanne.

"For the most part, they're about as dangerous as your typical scum. But they've got a spell that can teleport a person against their will. That's why anybody sailing these days makes sure to keep a wing of wyvern on them," explained the captain. "Still, most ships don't have these enchantments like what you've put on ours, so the best a sailor can do is either teleport to the ship's next destination to be picked up or back home. A true pain."

"Here they come!" warned Ron.

Two large blue birds descended on the group. Alice sent a stream of fire at the birds, giving them some good burns. The birds were far from done however. One of the birds swooped at Suzanne and gave her a good peck to the shoulder, doing so in one fluid motion such that Suzanne missed on her counterattack. Ron managed to hit the same bird with a slash to its torso, but the bird still lived.

Thomas was casting a spell of his own. He finished his spell just before the spell casting bird did and the bird was engulfed in the energy waves of a spell-stopping spell. The condor could do nothing but make angry noises as its spell failed after it had finished casting.

Alice took out her sword and joined the melee. The wounded bird, seeing her and thinking her an easy target, came in for an attack. Though Alice was still the least skilled in weaponry of the group, she managed to inflict the killing blow on the weakened bird. The spell casting bird, no longer having that option available, came in for a strike on the group. It was met by the blades of Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas and met a fate similar to its comrade.

"Good job on that sealing spell, Tom," complimented Suzanne. "It would've been really annoying if those birds got somebody lost somewhere."

"I wonder where the spell sends people," commented Alice.

"Surprisingly, it usually sends a person into a town or other friendly place," said Captain Marbeley as he approached the group. "It'd be more than an annoyance if they sent people straight to the Archfiend's lair or something! You guys did well against those damn birds."

* * *

The group came to the eastern side of Malandoras after another day of sailing. They spent a good portion of the day looking through the forest for the field that the chancellor had mentioned. After a while, they found a break in the forest that led to a field. The group found that there was a lake in the middle of the field with a house near the lake. The group decided to investigate the house.

Inside the house was an older man, in his fifties or sixties, wearing work clothes. The man had been enjoying some coffee at his table when the group knocked on his door.

"Hello," greeted the old man. "Who might you all be?"

"We're a group of travelers," replied Suzanne. She and the rest of the group introduced themselves to the man.

"Nice to see people for a change," said the man. "My name is Polce. What brings you four out here?"

"To tell you the truth, we're not entirely sure," admitted Suzanne. "We were told by the chancellor of Eginbear that there was something interesting around here. He didn't tell us what though."

"Eginbear you say?" asked Polce. "I would guess he was referring to me. I came to him a short while ago with a request of sorts. You see, this region is completely unpopulated. I know, I've lived here for a few decades now. Then I had the idea that maybe people could start populating this region. The land is pretty good from what I've found. Some people from Eginbear had been around here one day so I asked them to spread the word to people to start coming here."

"That sounds like a great idea," replied Suzanne. "Anything we can do to help?"

"I don't suppose I could get you all to stay?" asked Polce.

Suzanne shook her head, "I'm afraid we have to continue our journey."

Polce chuckled, "That's alright. I've already got some good warriors here, eager to prove themselves against the monsters here. They've kept this field safe for some time. The only thing I can think of is to spread the word of this place. If we had a merchant around here, that would really start to bring some people in."

"A merchant, huh?" echoed Suzanne thoughtfully. "We may know one willing to take a risk. We'll see what we can do."

* * *

"You're going to ask Bill to help Polce out?" asked Alice.

"I'm going to mention it to him," answered Suzanne. "It'll be up to him if he wants to do it or not."

"I don't think he'll go for it. How's he going to make money out here?" said Ron.

"That's true, but what if a town were built here? He could easily make a profit then," returned Suzanne. "Yeah, I know he probably won't go for it. And that's all right too. We can certainly still use his help. I'm just going to mention it to him and see what he says."

The group returned to the _Mad Hound_ and went straight to talk to Bill. They found the merchant looking over figures and records in his room on the ship.

"Hey Bill," greeted Suzanne. "We're back from our little trip."

"Let me guess, you didn't make any sort of money while you were wandering around did you?" asked Bill with a knowing smile.

"No we didn't," answered Suzanne. As Bill started laughing at her, she cut in, "But we may have a business opportunity for you."

At the mention of a business opportunity, which sometimes led to money, Bill stopped laughing immediately. "I'm listening," he said.

"We met a man in a cleared area of the forest near a lake. The man's name is Polce and he said he wanted to get a town together in the area. He already has some warriors and fighters to guard such an area, but he needs people. He also needs a merchant. Don't know if you're interested, but I thought I should mention it to you," Suzanne explained.

"Hm. You bring up an interesting point. Of course, there's a good chance that nobody would ever show to this spot. But if people did, I would be the sole merchant, at least at first. Then I could build up money and stock and become a prominent figure in the fledgling town," Bill pondered.

"I'm going to have to give it some thought. It's a risk, and there's a low chance of it succeeding, but like many risks, the payoff could be great. Is it alright if we stay here for the night so I can decide in the morning?" Bill asked.

"That's fine. Don't forget, you still have your job with us if you decide not to go. We can certainly still find some work for you," replied Suzanne.

* * *

The next day, Bill came to the group with his decision. Bill had decided to stay in with Polce a while and help him out. If Bill decided that the town was not going to grow and that he was wasting his time, he could leave the town and do what he wished. The group then escorted Bill through the woods to Polce.

"You're back," greeted Polce when the five came to his door. "And I see you have someone else with you."

"Hello, my name is Bill," introduced Bill. "I am told that you are Polce. I hear you are trying to start a town in this region and would like a merchant to help you out. Well, I'm just the guy for the job!"

"Really! You'll stay!" exclaimed Polce. "That's great! Thank you! It may be some hard work, but I'm sure we can make it worth your while!"

Polce then turned to the other four, "I suppose you'll be continuing your travels?"

"Yes. I'm afraid we can't stay in your town," replied Suzanne.

"That's fine. You've done more than enough in bringing this fine young man here. I don't know if it means much, but you should find the Soo in the rivers to the west. In their village is a well. Try digging around that well. There's something interesting there. I can mark where their village is on a map," said Polce.

"Well, we'll see if they allow us to do that. Thank you for the tip," said Suzanne.

Then Bill walked up to the four, "Well, I guess this is where I offer my resignation."

"We're going to be in trouble without you, Bill," said Ron. "None of us can work the financial magic that you've been working."

"Yeah, we've saved a lot of money while you've been here!" said Alice. "If this doesn't work out, you make sure to come straight back to us!"

"Like I said, we can always get some work for you. For a nice salary, of course," said Suzanne.

"We'll see how things work out. You guys be safe out there. You can't make money if you're dead!" said Bill.

* * *

"Well, now we have another reason to seek out the Soo," said Suzanne. "Looks like that should be our next destination."

"One thing about what Polce said," cut in Thomas. "He said that the Soo live in a village. King Rogest made it seem as though they were as powerful as a nation. How can a village help the struggle?"

"That's true," said Ron. "The king didn't seem to think highly of them either. From how he said it, the Soo are a bunch of savages."

"We'll have to be careful," acknowledged Suzanne. "But I get the feeling the king wasn't being fair to these people. And remember what Polce said about the well. Maybe that's out next step to the Final Key. Maybe we have to use the vase on their well."

"Problem is, if the vase works as we think, won't that damage their water supply? We can't very well risk these people dying of dehydration on a theory," warned Alice.

"Plus, Polce said we should dig around the well. I don't think he knows anything about the vase at all. And if he did, how would he know we have it?" asked Thomas.

"Okay, so this probably has nothing to do with the Final Key," admitted Suzanne. "Do you guys think we shouldn't go?"

"Oh no," corrected Alice. "We should definitely go. If nothing else, we'll see another culture of people. That's always worth it."

"Yeah, we may even get into a good scrap," laughed Ron. "But seriously, what do we have to lose?"

"Our lives, for one," said Thomas. "But we have no other leads. I'm for the journey."

"We may find it difficult getting there," said Alice, who had been studying maps of the region before the group started their discussion. "We're going to have to go to the southern end of the continent, then go north up a maze of rivers. I estimate a five day journey, assuming we don't get lost."

"Why can't we just walk there?" asked Ron.

"There's a mountain range between Polce's area and where he said the Soo live. In fact, the village is in a small area boxed in by a river and the mountains. They probably don't get many visitors," explained Alice.

* * *

Alice's estimation might have been true, but the _Mad Hound_ did get lost in the many rivers of middle Malandoras. It took an extra day for the _Mad Hound_ to find the village of the Soo. Eventually, the four came to land and found a settlement not far from the river.

The group approached the settlement cautiously but made sure to have their hands in the air as they came within view of the people to show that they meant no harm. A couple of guards came to greet them as they approached the boundaries of the village.

"Hold! What are your intentions here?" asked one of the guards.

"We are a group of travelers. We heard about your people and were in the area, so we were hoping we could stay here for the day and the night. We mean you no harm," replied Suzanne.

"We will take your word for it. However, we will have a couple of warriors escort you as you move through our village. We will also have to confiscate your weapons. You must understand, we rarely receive visitors. We must be sure you are up to no ill, despite your claims," answered the guard who had greeted the group.

"That is fine. We also have magic on our side as well. Would you have our magic sealed?" asked Suzanne.

"How honest of you," commented the guard. "We will have to tell our leader, the shaman Banil, of this. Maybe he can do something about your magic."

The group surrendered their weapons and waited to hear the news from the village leader. After about a half an hour, a man looking to be in his seventies wearing fine robes approached the group. The man walked up to the four and cast a spell, surrounding the group in the energy waves of a spell sealing spell. Since the group did not want to cause trouble, they did not resist the spell and let it run its course. Then the man spoke to the group.

"I am the shaman Banil," introduced the man. "It has been some time since we have had visitors in our village. I have heard why you stopped by our village. However, I have not heard the nature of your journey. Might I ask what that is?"

"We have been trying to forge alliances between the nations of the world against the Archfiend who has taken over southern Tarasia," explained Suzanne. "Have you heard of the Archfiend?"

"I have not. I do remember the stories of the last two Archfiends. Vile creatures they were indeed. You are hoping to unite humanity against this threat?" asked Banil.

"Yes we are. The reason we are in this region is that we have currently hit a dead end. We have met a couple of rulers who do not believe the Archfiend is a great threat. We need some way to do reconnaissance on the Archfiend's forces, but his region is surrounded by impassable mountains and landlocked bodies of water. We have been exploring several leads on artifacts that could help us," recapped Suzanne.

"I see. And you think there is an artifact in this region that may help you?" inquired Banil.

"We truly don't know. We have been searching for something called the Final Key. We have obtained another artifact called the Vase of Drought that we believe has something to do with the key. Do you know anything about this?" asked Suzanne.

"I do not," replied Banil.

"Don't forget the Portogan legend Susie!" cut in Alice.

"Oh yes. We also heard a legend that whoever obtains six orbs will be able to travel anywhere without a ship. It could just be a legend, but if it were true it would help immensely in seeing what the Archfiend is up to," continued Suzanne.

"Ah yes, the orbs. I have heard of them. You might try the Tower of Arp on the southwestern side of the continent. There you will find the Echoing Flute. It is an instrument that is said to make echoes when played near one of the six orbs," answered Banil.

"So you have heard of this legend. Maybe there is some truth to it then. Thank you for the information. We also heard one other thing, from a man named Polce who lives to the east. He said to check the well in your village. We would never do so without your permission, but I am curious, do you know what he speaks of?" continued Suzanne.

"Polce. He is another visitor that we had some time ago. He has given us no trouble. At the time, he meant to start a settlement to the east. Has he succeeded?" asked Banil.

"He's making progress, but there is no formal village there yet," answered Suzanne.

"As to the village well, I know not what he speaks of. If you wish to investigate, you may keep whatever you find, so long as no other member of this village claims it," said Banil.

"He said we would have to dig. Do we have your permission to do so?" requested Suzanne.

"You shall not dig very deep. But you may dig," permitted Banil.

"Thank you, sir shaman," thanked Suzanne. "Might we also stay the night here?"

"You may," answered Banil.

The group then decided to explore the village. They would have liked to split up, to get more done in a shorter time, but they could not as the guards wanted them in one place. As the group made their way to the well they met many of the Soo and made conversation with them. The Soo took notice of the four since, as the guards and Banil had mentioned, they were unaccustomed to visitors.

"Hey, you four are travelers?" asked one woman who came to talk to the group.

"We are," answered Suzanne.

"I heard that you've been looking for some artifacts," said the woman. "There was this other traveler here, around the same time as that Polce fellow. He was a wizard. He was also looking for some artifacts. You might want to talk with him. He said his home is in Greenlad, an island in the northern seas."

"I've heard of it," mentioned Alice. "It's an island about a third the size of Aliahan. It is almost completely covered in ice, since the northern seas are quite cold."

"We'll be sure to check that out. Thank you," said Suzanne.

After some time, the group made their way to the village well. There did not seem to be any sign of anything suspicious at first glance. Nevertheless, since they had been given permission, the four decided to dig around the area. As ordered, they did not dig very deep. After some time, Thomas found something. He picked a staff out of the ground.

"Alice, could you examine this?" asked Thomas.

"You found something?" asked Ron.

"Let me see!" said Alice. She took the staff and examined it closely. "It's got some magic runes on it. I won't be able to tell for sure until we have use of our magic again."

"You will have to give that to us for the moment," said one of the guards who were escorting the group. "We have to be sure this hasn't been lost by someone in the village. If nobody claims it, we will give it back to you."

Alice gave the staff to one of the guards. He had the group wait at the well a short time while he delivered the staff to Banil. Once the guard returned, the group continued exploring the village. After a few hours, night began to fall. Rather than burden on of the villagers, the group set up camp just outside of the village. They made sure to maintain the fire as the night went on to show the guards they were not up to any trickery in the dark.

As the group prepared to settle down for the night, Alice decided to go for a walk through the village once more before dark. She met up with the guards on the nightwatch and went about the town, observing what the village was like at night. She came across a horse walking around at night.

"Did somebody forget to tie their horse up for the night?" asked Alice.

"Oh no, they don't tie me up anymore," came a voice, amazingly from the horse itself.

"What the! You can talk?" exclaimed a very surprised Alice. Interestingly, the two guards with her did not seem startled by the talking horse at all and found her surprise very amusing.

"Yes I can talk," said the horse indignantly. "I am Ed, the talking horse. You can't well have a talking horse that can't talk."

"I'm sorry Ed," apologized Alice. "But I've never met a talking horse before. It caught me off guard."

"It's all right," sighed Ed. "Your reaction isn't the worst I've ever had to put up with. I have heard about you and your friends, but I have not heard your name? Might I?"

"My name is Alice," introduced Alice.

"Hello Alice. I have heard that you and your friends are in possession of the Vase of Drought. Is that true?" asked Ed.

"Yes, that's true. You've heard of it?" answered Alice.

"I have," replied Ed. "I also hear that you don't know how or where it is used. Is this true?"

"That is true!" said Alice, starting to get excited. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Whoa, settle down," said the horse, chuckling at her excitement. "I heard some things about it a long time ago. From what I've heard, the vase is supposed to be used in the ocean immediately to the west of this continent, almost directly west of this village. There should be some marker of where to use it, but I don't know what that would be."

"Thank you for the information!" said Alice, hugging the horse. "We had no idea where to go next with this."

"Whoa, don't thank me so much," laughed Ed. "I don't know if what I've heard is true. For all I know, this all a wild goose chase. I do hope it helps you though."

Alice spent some more time talking with Ed before she decided to return to her group's camp and go to sleep. Before she left the guards, she asked them about Ed.

"That being is an enigma. It has resided with us for a long time," explained one of the guards. "The thing is, it's not the same horse. You were right about someone forgetting to tie their horse. In the morning, that horse will likely be a regular horse. This Ed has been a number of random horses throughout years and decades that were left untied by their owners at night. Usually Ed doesn't have much advice, just wants to have a good chat. It would seem that Ed is quite learned as well."

* * *

In the morning the group returned for another audience with Banil. Banil gave the staff from the well back to the group and told them that none in the village believed it belonged to them. Both the four and Banil were amazed that a staff was hidden in a shallow hole around the well, without having been found for who knew how long, and that Polce somehow knew of it. Nevertheless, the group eventually bid the village goodbye and returned to the _Mad Hound_.

"You guys!" yelled Alice at the top of her lungs from her cabin, where she had been studying the staff. "You have to see this!"

"Whoa, calm down Alice," cautioned Ron. "You didn't set fire to your room again did you?"

"No, but I could, and without even using any of my magic!" shouted Alice, not calmed down in the slightest.

"We would prefer it if you didn't do that," laughed Suzanne.

"And if you gave us an explanation," muttered Thomas irritably.

"Okay. This staff is incredibly powerful. If one speaks the command word and aims the staff as one would aim the associated spell, this can mimic my stream of fire spell! And it's the stronger one too! And it won't take any of my magic to use! Plus, it can be used indefinitely!" explained Alice.

"That's incredible," remarked Suzanne. "I've never heard of such a powerful artifact before."

"An incredible killing tool from long ago," said Thomas. "Fortunate that we found it, rather than it falling into the wrong hands. You should keep it safe and use it wisely, Alice."

"Don't you worry, Tom. Using this staff is like using the spell that comes with it. You don't do it unless you have to and you're prepared for the consequences," assured Alice.

"So I'm guessing that we're going to search the western ocean now?" asked Ron.

"We have few other leads, at least on the Final Key," said Suzanne. "If this doesn't work out, we still have two other places we could go to."

"Two?" asked Alice. "I thought our only other place of interest was this Tower of Arp that the Soo told us about?"

"You're forgetting Jipang, that city-state we heard about back at the Portogan shrine," explained Suzanne.

"Do you know how long it will take to search an entire ocean?" asked Thomas.

"Too long," acknowledged Suzanne. "That's why we have a search radius. This Ed that Alice talked to said that what we're looking for is almost directly west of the Soo village. That means it'll probably be a little to the north or a little to the south, but it should be somewhere in that area."

"Did the horse mention how far west what this thing is? North and south are not the only factors we need to worry about," reminded Thomas.

"That is true," said Ron. "This could take a while indeed."

"It'll also take a while just to get there," mentioned Alice. "It'll take just over six days just to get out of the rivers and to that ocean. Then the search begins."

"We might also get other things done in the meantime," suggested Thomas. "Didn't they say there was a wizard to the north of Malandoras? Our path would take us near this Greenlad, won't it?"

"Yeah it will. Good idea. We can see if the wizard knows anything that will help us," replied Alice.

* * *

The _Mad Hound_ left the rivers of Malandoras and sailed north around the eastern shores of Malandoras. As they cleared the northern tip of the continent, they found an island, slightly smaller than Eginbear, with a strange structure on it. The structure appeared to be a shrine, but its shape was that of a triangle if viewed from above. It differed from a pyramid only in that it had the same shape and size on its bottom floor as it did on its top.

The group decided to take a quick detour to check the shrine out. They found three Traveler's Gates inside the shrine, one at each of the triangle's points. However, at the end of each Traveler's Gate was a locked and magically sealed door, too powerful for the group's magic key. Remembering to note the location and nature of the shrine, the group resolved to return sometime after getting the Final Key, if they could find it.

The group came to the icy land of Greenlad about a day later. The _Mad Hound_ was finding the ocean to be a more perilous place, though not just due to monsters. The ocean in these colder regions was now subject to freezing, limiting and constricting the _Mad Hound_'s movements if it wanted to keep from being beached.

The group spent a brief time exploring Greenlad and eventually came upon a house. They knocked upon the house and, being beckoned to come in, entered. They found a man wearing green robes in his late forties.

"Well isn't this a surprise!" said the man jovially. "I am the wizard Zlistan. Who might you be?"

The group introduced themselves and then Suzanne revealed the nature of their visit, "We've heard from the Soo that you search for magical artifacts. We find ourselves on such a search. We were wondering what you may have found."

"Oh, I've found something interesting, though it is not what I was looking for. I found this thigh bone from a dead sailor, who now serves on the Phantom Ship. Have you heard of the Phantom Ship?" asked Zlistan.

"We have not," replied Suzanne.

"It is a ship that was sunk in a storm a few years ago. However, both the ship and its crew returned in the form of ghosts a short time after its sinking. If one wants to find the Phantom Ship, one will need this sailor's thigh bone," explained Zlistan.

Zlistan than looked at the group hopefully, "What I search for is something called the Staff of Change. It allows the user to change his appearance. Might the four of you possess this artifact?"

"I'm afraid we do not," answered Suzanne.

Zlistan's hope notably faded from his face, "Oh. Well, if you do find the Staff of Change, consider bringing it to me. I'll trade you the staff for the bone."

* * *

The _Mad Hound_ took to the waters of the western sea. The group set up a grid-like search pattern over the ocean to ensure that they covered a lot of land. They decided to search the ocean closer to Malandoras than to Dalmath, the continent that Malandoras shared the ocean with. It took another four days, but the group found something interesting in the form of large shoals sticking out of the ocean.

"Hey captain!" called Alice. "Stop the ship, we may have found something!"

"What do you think Alice?" asked Suzanne.

"Those shoals look suspicious. See the water around them? It looks really shallow. It's almost like there's some land under the ocean there," theorized Alice.

"Hey guys!" called Thomas. "The vase is glowing!" The other three went to see the vase and found that it was indeed glowing.

"I think this is it!" said Alice excitedly. "That must actually be land there. The vase will get rid of some of the water so we can land on it!"

"How do we use the vase?" asked Suzanne.

"To be honest, I don't know," admitted Alice. "Let's just take the vase near those shoals."

"It'll be too dangerous to take the ship near," said Suzanne. "We should take some rowboats over there instead. We don't want to beach the ship if this turns out to be true."

The group did as Suzanne suggested and went out on rowboats to the shoals. The vase began glowing brighter and brighter the closer the group got to the shoals. Suddenly, the vase began floating in the air above the shoals. There was a great rumbling, and the water around the shoals rapidly disappeared before the group's eyes. The four struggled to stay afloat amidst the spectacle. When all was done, there was a dent in the ocean leading down to a small island, upon which was a shrine. The group rowed up to the land and went into the shrine.

The shrine was well decorated and quite spacious, but also quite empty. In the middle of the shrine was an alter, upon which rested a strange looking key.

"Is that it?" asked Ron. "Have we finally found it?"

"Only one way to find out," said Suzanne.

The group walked up to the key and took it. Alice gave it the usual examination and reported to the rest of the group.

"There is definitely powerful magic in this key. Way more powerful than our current magic key. There's only one way to find out if this key is all it's supposed to be though," reported Alice.

"I think I see its first test," said Thomas, pointing to the north end of the shrine. There was a door on the northern end.

"Try our other magic key first," suggested Suzanne. "Let's see if that key can open that door."

The group's old magic key could not open the door. However, the key that had been on the alter easily opened the locked door.

"I think this is it!" exclaimed Alice. "The Final Key!"

"About time," said Ron. "It better be all it's supposed to be. I am really tired of these hunts into dangerous areas and all this investigation just to find a key!"

"So," came a voice from within the chamber beyond the door. "You have found the Final Key. You must be powerful indeed to have made it this far."

The group entered the room and soon drew their weapons as they found a skeleton resting upon a grand throne. However, the skeleton did not seem to mean them any harm.

"Beware the Great Pit of Giaga," warned the skeleton. "All misfortune emanates from that accursed pit."

After voicing its warning, the skeleton vanished before the group's eyes.

"That was very strange," said Ron, his axe still drawn.

"Another thing for us to remember," commented Thomas. "There may be something to its warnings. It also seems I owe you all an apology."

"What for?" asked Suzanne.

"I've been criticizing this excursion since the beginning. It would seem I was wrong," apologized Thomas.

"Don't worry about it," said Suzanne. "We need some healthy skepticism on the journey."

"Though you could be less of a pain in the ass about it," suggested Alice.

Thomas chuckled at the suggestion, "I'll have to keep that in mind."

The group left the shrine and got back onto their rowboats, wondering if they had the strength to paddle upwards, since the dent in the ocean meant they would have to go "uphill." However, this dilemma was soon solved, as the water began to reform a few minutes after the group returned to their boats. After another struggle to stay afloat, the ocean returned to how it had been before, with the shrine of the Final Key once again under the ocean.

"Amazing," commented Alice. "Such elaborate defenses."

"A necessity, to be sure," said Thomas. "This key could be devastating in the wrong hands."

"It looks like we're finding ourselves under more and more responsibility, with all the artifacts of incredible power we've been accumulating recently," mentioned Ron.

"We'll have to be sure to put them to good use," said Suzanne.

* * *

Author's note: Like I warned, another slow chapter as far as action goes. Don't worry, we'll get back to the action next chapter.


	16. Chapter 15: The Orochi

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 15: The Orochi

"We'll find it more and more difficult to sail," warned Captain Marbeley. "As the year reaches its end, the waters cool and icebergs and other dangers become commonplace."

It was already mid-November when the group had found the Final Key. The climate had indeed been getting colder and colder. Now the group was on their way to the city-state of Jipang that they had heard of from a man in the Portogan shrine. The four decided that they had gotten a little side-tracked by the Final Key. Nobody knew much about Jipang, especially what their political situation was or whether Jipang would be able to help the Romalian Empire and Isis.

The group had teleported the _Mad Hound_ to Baharata and then sailed around the coast until they came across the island of Jipang. Jipang was on a tiny island east of Baharata. The four disembarked from the _Mad Hound_ and headed into the city.

As the group entered the city they found themselves greeted by strange and sometimes unfriendly looks. While the townspeople were nowhere near as unfriendly as the people of the elven lands, the four knew that they were considered abnormal and potentially dangerous.

"It seems like we've gone to a lot of places recently that don't typically receive visitors," pointed out Ron.

"Well, Malandoras is pretty isolated from the other continents. Really, the whole eastern hemisphere is pretty cut off from the west, since there are few nations or settlements," said Alice.

The four talked with the local people trying to find an audience with the city's leader. The people of Jipang seemed downcast and low in spirits, as well as suspicious of the group's motives. The group came to a large building belonging to Himiko, leader of Jipang. The people of Jipang looked on Himiko almost as a god, believing he had the power and wisdom to achieve almost anything.

As usual, the group had their weapons and magic taken away as they sought audience with Himiko. The group was surprised to find that Himiko spent his days in a room with no throne or chair of any kind. The ruler stood awaiting the group as they entered.

"What do you want?" asked Himiko, clearly not happy to see the four travelers. "I despise outlanders such as you. You better have a good reason for being here, and you better explain that reason quickly."

"Have you heard of the Archfiend who plagues southern Tarasia?" asked Suzanne.

"Yes I have and I have no interest in hearing any more fairy tales," replied Himiko angrily. "You must be the one called Suzanne. I received a message from both the Romalian Empire and Isis about you. You may have scared that idiot emperor and his whore queen-ally into some wild goose chase, but you're not about to get me to. Leave."

"We apologize for wasting your time," apologized Suzanne as the group left Himiko's room.

"Geez," grumbled Ron once they were out of earshot of any listeners, "I think we had a friendlier welcome from the elf queen."

"What about these people makes them think they can treat people like dirt?" demanded Alice angrily.

"It would seem we have little more to gain here," pointed out Thomas.

"You're right. We should probably just leave," said Suzanne sullenly.

"Not yet," said Alice cheerfully. "We've made it a habit to stay in every place we go to for at least a night. Why break the habit now?"

"She's got a point," agreed Ron. "The townspeople don't trust us, but they haven't been hostile yet. Unless they try to kick us out we may as well stay the rest of the day."

"Fine," replied Suzanne. "We'll look for an inn and then everyone can do as they wish for the rest of the day."

* * *

The group found, however, that the only inn in Jipang had been closed to visitors for some reason. The group decided that they'd once again have to set up camp just outside of town. Suzanne was not feeling up to talking to any of the villagers so she decided to watch the camp for the rest of the day. Thomas, as usual, had no interest in talking to people and also stayed behind, as Jipang had no library for him to visit. Ron and Alice decided to head into town and look into the usual hot spots for the local news.

"I've noticed a great decrease in your determination since talking with Himiko," Thomas pointed out.

"It's nothing. I just hate all these rulers looking down on us and treating us like this," replied Suzanne.

"It's more than that. This is the third nation in a row we've failed on. We had some great initial success, but now our luck has run dry. It may have been better if our two successes were spaced between these failures, to renew our hope every so often," Thomas theorized.

"You're right. After all the success we had at first, I think I became a little bit arrogant. There's no way we could fail after going two for two, I thought," admitted Suzanne.

"I would say it was two for three. I would say Aliahan was our first try and that we were not successful with them," corrected Thomas.

Suzanne could not help but chuckle at Thomas' brunt honesty. "I suppose that's true. I guess our successes were between failures."

Suzanne's short burst of mirth quickly faded. "I can't help but remember what our good king said to me when I first requested to go on this journey. He asked if my bloodlust would continue after being laughed at for such an idea. To be fair, he said it would be because we're from Aliahan, but it's the same sort of thing."

"Has your bloodlust disappeared then?" asked Thomas.

"Is that what you think this has been about?" replied Suzanne.

"To be honest: no I do not. I never thought this was about bloodlust or revenge. I always was under the impression that you, like your father, believed this sort of journey was necessary to fight a greater evil. The need to gain pride for your deceased father may also have played into it, but above all else I thought you wanted to help people," guess Thomas.

"You're right. His majesty our king was incorrect. It was never about bloodlust. I don't get a violent satisfaction or happiness every time I slay a monster. To be honest, I don't really want to fight at all. But I know I have to, so I do. No big deal really," said Suzanne.

"Don't say that. Even monsters have lives. All lives are big deals. That is another crime this Archfiend has committed. To pit monsters against humans on such a grand scale means incredible loss of life, both monster and human," scolded Thomas.

"I'm sorry. I guess I've never seen much value in the life of a monster," admitted Suzanne.

"Well you should. It may be naïve, but if monsters saw value in humans and if humans saw value in monsters, we may see less Great Wars," said Thomas.

"Hey guys! You won't believe what we found out!" called the voice of Alice as she entered the camp.

"Yeah guys, there's a reason why all the citizens here looked so down, besides our arrival," chipped in Ron.

"What reason is that?" asked Suzanne.

"These people are being terrorized by a dragon called the Orochi," explained Ron. "Apparently, the beast won't attack the village so long as the people sacrifice a beautiful young woman every so often."

"The time of the sacrifices is random, determined by none other than our darling Himiko himself," continued Alice. "The villagers say he has divine abilities that allow him to determine the longest time to go without sacrificing someone without angering the beast."

"That's awful!" exclaimed Suzanne. "No wonder everyone in the city looked so down. It wasn't just us after all. Where is this Orochi?"

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" asked Thomas.

"Yes. We're going to slay the Orochi ourselves and save the people of this city," declared Suzanne.

"But why? They haven't asked for our help and I'm sure they've tried to slay the beast. What makes you think we'll be successful?" asked Thomas.

"We have to try. You said that once. We can't sit by while these people suffer," replied Suzanne.

"Well said!" beamed Ron. "I'm up for another dragon fight!"

"They said the Orochi lives in a nearby cave just northeast of here," said Alice. "Let's do this!"

* * *

As Alice had said, there was a cave just northeast of Jipang. The cave was only a couple of hours away from the city. The group descended into the cave and found that it was incredibly hot inside.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Ron. "Perfect lair for a dragon! Could it be any hotter in here?"

"Actually, some dragons prefer the cold," corrected Alice. "They would be quite miserable in here."

"How can a bunch of things that breathe fire like the cold?" asked Ron.

"Some dragons don't breathe fire. It is said that there are some that breathe terrible gales of cold and ice," explained Alice.

"You're making that up. Everyone knows dragons breathe fire and that's that," argued Ron.

"Who's the sage here? I'm telling you, some dragons breathe ice!" yelled Alice.

"No time for arguing! They're here!" called Suzanne.

The group was confronted with two monsters that looked very similar to the human-fat monsters they fought in the cave near Baharata, the ones that could cast the confusion spells. These ones had red skin rolling off them. They still carried staves of similar nature to the green versions near Baharata.

Deciding that magic would be worthless against the creatures, Alice took out her sword and ran at one of the creatures. She gave it a slash across the midsection. However, the creature's layers of skin and fat kept the blow from being anywhere near fatal. The two creatures then displayed incredible agility as they quickly retreated from Alice's charge and cast spells at the group. Both Alice and Suzanne were hit with the yellow waves of confusion spells. Alice managed to shake hers off, but Suzanne was visibly disoriented.

"Beware Suzanne! The spell's affected her!" warned Thomas. As if to prove his point, Suzanne came at Thomas and managed a slash across his shoulder. Thomas began casting a sleep spell and sent Suzanne to sleep. Ron finished off the creature that Alice had wounded with a crushing blow to what may have been the creature's face (it was hard to tell.)

Seeing the surviving creature attempting another spell, Alice ran at it to try and kill it before it could finish its casting. Just as before, however, the creature's girth cushioned the blow from killing it. The creature finished its spell and sent yellow waves at Ron. Ron managed to resist the confusion and return the creature's spell with steel. The monster died.

The group made sure to stay away from Suzanne as the effects of confusion wore off. After that the group went to work exploring the cave. The group took a left right off the bat and went down a large hallway. They soon found their way blocked by a stream of fiery rock; a mudslide of flame.

"What is this!" asked Ron, taken aback by the scene.

"Lava," answered Alice. "Make sure not to touch it. It's as lethal as it looks."

"Wait, isn't lava found in a volcano?" asked Suzanne.

Alice, knowing what Suzanne was hinting at, was hesitant to answer. Seeing Suzanne's pressing look, she could not help but tell the truth, "Yes. It is."

"So then. This stuff is probably how my father died," said Suzanne.

"Are you all right?" asked Ron.

"I'm fine. It's just funny looking at what did him in. If it were a monster, I would feel anger. But seeing an inanimate object like this…" Suzanne trailed off.

"You sure you're fine?" asked Alice.

"Yeah. Let's keep going. We have an appointment with a dragon," replied Suzanne.

The group turned back around to the cave entrance and followed the other path where they found another hallway. They followed the hallway and eventually found a chamber heading to the right. The group entered the chamber and found themselves greeted by three bears.

"Watch out guys!" called Ron.

Alice cast a spell and the bears found huge spines of ice rising up from underneath them. The ice then shattered giving the beasts several cuts in addition to the wounds they sustained from the sharp pieces of ice stabbing them from the ground. Suzanne took advantage of the bears' surprise and ran one of them through with her sword. The two surviving bears ganged up on her and while she managed to dodge one of them, the other one caught her across the face.

Thomas ran up and stabbed one of the bears in the shoulder, but the bear still had enough strength to fight. Ron ran up and decapitated the other bear. Alice unsheathed her sword and finished off Thomas' bear with a quick slash to the side. The bear succumbed to its wounds.

"So ice this time huh?" asked Ron to Alice.

"Well, I've never really understood why one should 'fight fire with fire.' It seemed to make more sense that way," replied Alice. Ron could not help but laugh at her response.

The group continued making their way through the cave. The chamber they were in actually turned out to be empty. The backtracked to the hallway and found that after the chamber it almost immediately split into another hallway. This hallway led into a very large room but the group found their path blocked by more lava. The group was forced to backtrack back to the main hallway.

As the group worked their way through the main hallway, they found another entrance to the large room on the left. However, this entrance was also blocked by lava. The group returned the main hallway. The hallway made a left turn, such that it was now going the opposite direction of where it was going from the entrance. The hallway seemed to be winding its way around the edges of the cave.

The group came to another split to the left that led back into the main room, around which the hallway was wrapped. This time the group could make progress into the room and they found a staircase in the middle. As usual, the group skipped the staircase to explore the rest of the floor for their target. The large room led back to the main hallway, but on the other side of the lava that had blocked the group the first time. Here they found a chest. After checking it, they found a peculiar mask inside.

"What is this?" asked Ron. "It sure does look funny."

Alice used her magic to start investigating the object. The group was surprised when she suddenly dropped the mask and started backing away.

"What is it Alice?" asked Suzanne.

"This mask has extremely powerful magic within it. It can make the wearer almost impervious to physical attack!" she exclaimed.

"Really! Sounds like my kind of equipment!" said Ron as he started for the mask.

"Don't touch it!" Alice shouted. "It's also cursed! It breaks the mind of whoever wears it! You know those confusion spells that have been thrown at us a couple times now? Imagine living under that spell forever!"

"Are you serious?" asked Thomas, horrified at the prospect.

"Well, forever might be a little dramatic. Like all curses, it can be broken. At the expense of the mask, of course. So you see, it really is worthless to us no matter what," explained Alice, now starting to calm down.

The group back tracked to the part of the main hallway they could make progress through and found it ended at one last chamber. Unfortunately, the chamber was empty. The group went back to the stairs and went down them. The four were quickly greeted by two large, red, moving rock formations. The strangest part of these rock formations may not have been their movement but by the eyes that glared from the top rocks.

"Those rocks are alive!" warned Suzanne. "Ready yourselves!"

Alice sent her ice spikes up from the ground underneath the rocks. The rocks were almost taken apart by the ice, but kept their form. Suzanne sent a slash at one of the rocks, not knowing if her attack would have any effect on whatever it was that she was striking. She was relieved when the rock formation broke to pieces and the eyes disappeared.

The other rock monster was still alive however. The rock monster suddenly opened up at the top, similar to one opening his or her mouth, and breathed a blast of fire at the group. The fire caught the group off guard and inflicted serious burns on all four of them. The four were still in fighting shape, unfortunately for the rock monster. Thomas finished the creature off with a stab between the eyes. The creature fell apart just as its partner had.

"More fire breath. I guess we should have expected that in a fire cave like this," commented Suzanne, waiting for Thomas to finish the healing rounds.

"I don't think our tricked out armor did much against that breath either," complained Ron.

"Many people have come up with the theory that monsters' fire breath is not actually magic," explained Alice. "It's actually a natural occurrence, such as breathing oxygen is for us. These theories are supported by instance like this, where wards against magic do not protect against fire breath."

"Oh, that's great! How does that help us?" asked Ron exasperatedly.

"There are wards that can protect against breath weapons," said Alice thoughtfully.

"I believe that would be my area of expertise," joined in Thomas. "But, as usual, I don't have the knowledge of magic necessary when we need it."

"Don't do this to yourself again man. There's only so much one man can do. You'll get it soon. Just like you how you got the antidote spell. Just like how your healing just keeps improving," said Ron.

The group was now in another hallway, similar to the one on the previous floor. This one was significantly shorter. It led to a chamber with a gruesome alter inside it. Both the alter and the area around it were covered in blood and human skeletons.

"This must be the sacrificial alter," said Ron grimly.

"I can't help but notice how deep inside the alter is," noted Thomas. "The Orochi probably hopes that whoever escorts the sacrifices inside will be killed by the other monsters. More food for the beast."

"We have to be close then," said Suzanne.

The group went back to the hallway and found it split in both directions midway between the chamber and the stairs. One split led quickly to a dead end. The other split led to a huge chamber almost filled by a lake of lava. There was an island in the middle of the lava lake with a bridge leading from the hallway the group was in to the island. The group quickly made their way onto the island.

The four wound themselves around the various boulders scattered around the island, careful to look for more rock monsters. And then the group found their target.

"Oh goodness, this will be a fight!" said Ron.

"Numerous heads. I pray they can't all breathe fire, especially at once," commented Thomas.

"We can take it!" said Alice confidently.

"It seems happy to see us. I wonder why that is?" noted Suzanne, knowing full well from the sacrifice chamber why the beast was happy to see them.

The Orochi was a green dragon with five heads standing upon four legs. Each head had blue spines running up it. The dragon was indeed happy to see the four. Humans no longer wondered into the cave, too afraid of the beast. To see the four humans wonder in on their own, without the dragon having to do any work, was like a free meal for the Orochi.

Alice created spikes of ice underneath the Orochi. The Orochi hissed in pain, but the group was amazed to see its wounds already closing before their eyes. Suzanne and Ron struck the Orochi with their weapons. Not only did the dragon's scales reduce their weapons' effectiveness, but they could see the wounds they did inflict closing as well.

"Damn! The bastard can regenerate!" swore Ron.

Thomas hung back and cast a spell. The four were engulfed in the bright light of the spell that reduces vulnerability to physical attack. The Orochi brought two of its heads to face the party. One of them gave Ron a good bite to his shoulder. The other let loose a burst of flame at the group. Having expected this, the group was able to use the various boulders around the island for cover. However, they were all still given good burns.

"It can use its heads at the same time! Beware multiple attacks everyone!" warned Suzanne.

Fortunately, Alice had just the spell to overcome one of the Orochi's abilities. Alice had recently learned a spell that greatly enhanced the strength of the one the spell was cast on. She quickly chanted the spell and Ron found himself engulfed in crimson light.

"There! You should be able to get past its scales now!" yelled Alice.

Suzanne and Ron continued their offensive. Alice's spell did indeed aid Ron, as he cut through the Orochi's scales and its hide as though it were butter. The Orochi screamed in rage and pain as Ron cut it. Although the wound was starting to heal, it was grievous enough that it would not heal completely for a little while. Thomas sent his stronger healing spell at Ron, to account for the bite and the burns.

The Orochi still had enough in it to keep up the assault. This time it nearly took Suzanne's head off with a bite from one of its own. It still dealt a decent wound to her shoulder. The other head sent another burst of flame at the group.

"I can't heal all of you at once! I need some help!" called Thomas.

"Alice! Help Thomas keep the healing up!" ordered Suzanne.

Alice healed herself, though she did not have Thomas' stronger healing spell yet. Thomas sent his stronger healing spell at Suzanne. Suzanne and Ron once again struck the beast. Suzanne managed another easily regenerated wound to the dragon's side. Ron once again gave the beast a good slash, almost taking one of its heads off at the base of the neck.

The Orochi was definitely mad now. This was supposed to be an easy meal and it would take a while for its wounds to heal now. It had been a long time since it had felt this much pain. Those humans would be devoured nice and slowly now. The Orochi kept up its same assault: a bite to Suzanne, this time to her side, and another blast of flaming breath. Suzanne suspected that the beast was now focusing more on her due to its sick nature of preferring female humans.

"Alice! Give that enhancement to me that you gave to Ron! I'll help Tom heal for now!" called Suzanne.

Alice did as she was told and soon Suzanne was engulfed in the same crimson light. Suzanne sent her healing spell at Thomas, though hers was also not as strong as Thomas'. Thomas sent his healing spell at Suzanne. Ron was the only one left for offense as he gave the Orochi another wound to its side to hiss about. However, without Suzanne to inflict another wound, the Orochi was soon no more wounded than it was a few seconds ago.

Although the Orochi loved its flaming breath, there was something to be said for simply tearing humans to pieces. The Orochi brought two of its heads at Ron in a vicious double strike. Ron took a bite to his left side and one to his right arm. Combined with his burns, Ron was in rough shape.

"Alice! Heal yourself! Tom! You focus on Ron!" ordered Suzanne.

Alice healed herself while Thomas healed Ron. Ron, although still not in top shape, was looking much better now. Now Ron and Suzanne, with their enhanced strength, launched a great offensive on the Orochi. As the Orochi's heads were about to strike, Ron and Suzanne both struck at one and severed their targets clean off. The remaining three heads of the Orochi screeched a horrible screech of agony and rage. However, the group could see that the two heads were already growing back from the stubs of the necks.

However, the Orochi had been dealt terrible wounds. Too terrible to continue on. The Orochi quickly retreated into the lake of lava surrounding the island. The group gave hot pursuit, but the Orochi escaped into the lake.

"Damn it! The bastard got away!" cursed Ron.

"Maybe not," said Suzanne. "Look at where he went in!"

The other three looked at what Suzanne saw and found something interesting indeed. The lava was swirling oddly where the Orochi had entered the lava lake. In fact, the swirl looked like a red version of a Traveler's Gate.

"I don't think it dipped into the lake. The Orochi probably can't handle _that_ much fire. I think it teleported away!" guessed Alice.

"We should follow after it!" said Ron, about to go after the Orochi.

"Stop!" shouted Thomas. "How do you know you still won't be burned?"

"We can't let it get away Tom!" shouted Ron back.

"Let's be cautious about this. Tom, finish healing us. Ron, tie yourself up to a rope so we can get you out if you get burned. Then just slowly get in. Try dipping a finger in first, just to make sure," suggested Suzanne.

"Of course, the monster is healing itself as we waste time. Maybe even planning an ambush," grumbled Ron.

"Well, if it turns out that you still get horribly burned from that teleporter, you'll probably get a different view on it," scolded Suzanne.

Ron conceded to Suzanne's point and the group started tying a rope securely around his waist. Ron carefully put his finger into the swirl. The group was relieved when he felt no pain from it. Ron slowly began entering the red Traveler's Gate. When he disappeared without screaming in agony, the rest of the group followed after him.

This Traveler's Gate was different from the others. Instead of spinning around over and over and feeling dizzy afterwards, the group felt as though they had fallen a long ways. Fortunately, the fall was not real, as the group landed without injury.

The four found themselves back in Himiko's room in the city of Jipang. The group was surprised to find that night had already fallen while they had been in the cave. What was more surprising was the scene the group had appeared in the middle of. One of Himiko's aides was desperately tending to Himiko, who had been given terrible wounds. Himiko was definitely still alive, but was bleeding quite a bit.

"Where did you come from!" cried the aide. "Unless you have skill in healing, you must leave now! Himiko has been injured!"

Suzanne quickly called the group into a small conference.

"Does anyone else find it suspicious that Himiko is now suddenly injured, after we injured the Orochi and chased it here?" asked Suzanne.

"Funny how that works," agreed Alice.

"Let's see what he has to say," said Ron.

The four walked up to Himiko, hands on their weapons. Himiko was not only injured, but breathing oddly. Himiko's breath was coming out in inhuman hisses. As the four approached, Himiko gave them a venomous gaze. But it was not the glaring eyes of an angry human that glared at them, but the solid purple eyes of the Orochi.

"So, 'Himiko,' how did you get injured?" asked Suzanne.

"Enough games," growled Himiko. "You are the only ones who know my true identity. And you must know that by now, I've healed enough of your pitiful wounds to easily finish you off. But if you leave now, and don't speak a word of this to anyone, I'll spare your lives."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," answered Suzanne. "We need you to stop devouring sacrifices from this city. But you're not about to do that, are you?"

Himiko gave a great roar, the angry roar of the Orochi. "I shall enjoy devouring you!" it screamed.

The group quickly drew out their weapons as Himiko's form quickly grew and morphed into the form of the Orochi. As the Orochi had said, it had recovered from a good amount of its wounds. Where there had been two stumps left over before the Orochi now had two new heads, though they had not yet grown to the size of its three others.

Alice and Thomas knew that the spells they had cast in their first fight with the Orochi had worn off. Alice recast her spell on Ron, once again enhancing his strength. Thomas recast his spell on the group, giving them extra protection against the Orochi's bites. Ron and Suzanne resumed their offensive against the beast. They were please to see that, besides the small heads, some of the Orochi's other wounds still remained.

Suzanne, not yet boosted by Alice, once again found it difficult to inflict a wound that the Orochi could not almost immediately heal. Ron, however, was once again cutting through the dragon's skin like butter. The Orochi, incensed by the human female that dared stand up to it so, forgot its flaming breath for the moment and brought two of its heads down to bite at Suzanne. Suzanne tried to jump over the attack this time but was sent sprawling to the ground with one good bite in each leg.

Alice cast her magic on Suzanne, so now both the front line fighters had great strength. Thomas sent his stronger healing spell to Suzanne, almost completely healing her legs. Ron tried to go for the Orochi's head again but the creature was ready for the attack this time. The head ducked down and then came violently back up, sending Ron flying. Suzanne managed a strike to the creature's leg, almost severing it. The creature limped for all of two seconds as it let out a burst of flaming breath.

"Alice! Help Thomas heal! We just need to outlast it!" called Suzanne.

Alice healed herself while Thomas healed Ron. In the case of most monsters, the Orochi would have made things worse for itself by throwing Ron over itself, for it was no flanked by Suzanne and Ron. However, a five-headed beast like the Orochi was not at much of a disadvantage with an enemy behind it. Ron tried going at one of the two weak heads with another jumping strike but found them quickly snake away from his strike, leaving him on the creature's back in the middle of the five heads. Suzanne stabbed the beast just under one of its heads. By the creature's roar, Suzanne guessed she had not been far from the creature's heart, or some vital organ.

The creature was definitely angry now. Two of the Orochi's heads took a great inhale and unleashed a double blast of flame upon the group. As Ron was still on the dragon's back, he was not hit by the blast. The other three were badly burned however. Suzanne, Thomas, and Alice were all forced to heal themselves, though there were still good burns on all of them after their spells took effect.

Ron took advantage of his position on the Orochi's back. He got himself into a position similar to horseback riding and brought his axe through one of the dragon's five necks. Ron felt a spine snap as he did so and realized that each of the necks must have a spine. The neck Ron attacked went disgustingly limp and fell to the ground.

The Orochi realized the advantage Ron now had over it but realized it could not get its heads around to attack him. Instead, the dragon tried to buck Ron off its back. Ron tried to hold on, but quickly found himself falling off its back. The creature then tried to stomp on Ron, while one of its heads sent another blast of flame at the other three. Ron managed to avoid the worst of the stomp, but took a crushing blow to his left arm.

Thomas and Alice healed themselves again while Suzanne rejoined the melee. She managed to get underneath the head that had just breathed fire and sent a great upward slash at the dragon. The result had one of the beast's heads on the ground and a stump of a neck left. The creature howled in agony, allowing Ron to get back to his feet and try a daring move of his own. The Orochi was so distracted by its pain, as it was so unaccustomed to feeling, that it forgot to get one of its other heads out of the way as Ron sliced it clean off. The Orochi was now left with one good head and two smaller heads.

The Orochi quickly overcame its pain, channeling it into rage. It brought its good head and one of its smaller heads around to fight the group. The large head threw out a blast of flame while the smaller head snapped at Suzanne. Suzanne managed to block the smaller, weaker head with her shield. Alice healed Ron while Thomas healed Suzanne.

The four knew the Orochi was in its last stages of life. Suzanne and Ron focused on the large head. Suzanne went in low, ready to roll away if the head tried to crush her. Ron went in high. The creature's head was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If it tried to crush Suzanne, Ron would finish his own crushing slash on the neck. If it tried to swat Ron out of the air, Suzanne would have plenty of room to perform another terrible upward slash. The Orochi decided to pick on Suzanne again, as the two humans had come to expect from the dragon.

Having anticipated the attack, Suzanne easily rolled away. The Orochi roared before Ron even decapitated it again, knowing its head's fate. Indeed, there was a third head on the ground. The Orochi now also knew its fate. With only its two weak heads left, it could not hope to put a suitable offensive up. Nevertheless, it brought its two heads around and sent a double blast of fire at the group. However, the two blasts were only as strong together as one of the blasts from a strong head. But the Orochi knew it was still doing more harm than the two healers could erase. If it could outlast the humans, it could spend the next few months in rest healing its wounds.

The group knew the Orochi's plan. Alice and Thomas healed themselves while Ron and Suzanne kept up their offensive. Ron and Suzanne once again focused on the same head, and the creature was once again unable to dodge the double attack. Another head landed on the ground. The last head sent out one last desperate blast of flame at the group, but this one was noticeably weaker.

Ron and Suzanne finished off the final head and then the entire group went to work hacking the creature to pieces. Since it could heal itself, they could not risk the creature healing back someday. They cut and hacked until they came to the creature's heart. After stabbing the heart, the healing seemed to stop. Blood flowed unabated and none of the stumps tried to grow anymore. The group stopped their bloodbath and took one final look at the beast. The Orochi had finally died.

* * *

Author's Note: Ah yes. Orochi, my old friend. I remember well the trouble the bastard gave me, with his incredible hidden regeneration (which I didn't know about when I first played the game) and my not having Bikill at the time. I hope I did my old friend justice here. Please review if you have the time.


	17. Chapter 16: Suspicious Soldiers

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 16: Suspicious Soldiers

After the defeat of the Orochi, Jipang went insane overnight. It was much like when the group had liberated the western area of the Romalian Empire. However, there were no riots as there had been in that incident. Between Himiko's aide, who had witnessed his transformation into the beast, and the loud noises of the group's fight, the group did not need to prove that they had not brutally murdered Jipang's leader.

The group was immediately hailed as the saviors and heroes of Jipang. A great celebration was held in honor of their deeds. Along with this celebration came two additional rewards. There was an old Jipangian legend that stated, "From the blood and flesh of the vile dragon comes a blade of magnificent quality. The blade will be bestowed to the hand responsible for the slaying of the dragon."

Indeed, a wonderful magic hand-and-a-half sword had somehow materialized from the Orochi's remains over the night the group killed it. The group was going to let Thomas use the sword, but he was inadequate in using it due to its heavier than normal weight. So Alice was given the sword while she gave her zombie slasher to Thomas. Ron had taught her how to wield such weapons. Alice examined the blade and found that it could also release the spell that increased vulnerability to physical harm.

As good as the sword was, however, the group's best reward had come in the form of one of Himiko's treasures. In one of his treasure chests was a purple orb, which the people of Jipang bestowed upon the group. Suzanne wondered if it was one of the orbs from the Portogan legend. Alice and Thomas both launched a heavy investigation on the object, but could only identify that there was a mysterious, unknown, yet powerful magic within the orb.

"This could very well be proof of the legend!" exclaimed Suzanne. "We could give the king of Portoga and Eginbear and any other person proof of the danger if we could just get to the Archfiend's land!"

"Or this could just be a dangerous artifact of some other sort. Hell, even if we could get to the Archfiend's land, how are we going to leave without fighting our way out? Unless this means of transportation mentioned is a teleporter I don't see how this really helps," said Thomas, as usual providing the healthy skepticism for the group.

"If there are other orbs, we can't let them fall into the wrong hands, if they're not already there," chimed in Alice. "We know there's a lot of power in this orb. If there are others, we have to see what they are capable of."

"I say we search for the orbs," agreed Ron. "We don't have a lot of other leads at the moment."

"I suppose you guys are correct. We can't risk such powerful artifacts falling into the wrong hands," conceded Thomas.

"Then it's settled! We'll search for more of the orbs!" declared Suzanne.

"Not any time soon you won't," came the voice of Captain Marbeley. "As the climate grows colders, sea monsters become the least of our worries. It's too dangerous to go sailing for much longer until spring. Even I'm not foolhardy enough to do so."

* * *

The group took four months off their quest to wait for the waters to thaw. However, the group did not simply relax during the break. They continued their training in both weapons and magic. Thomas and Alice, in addition to their other studies, searched for any text that would give clues on the purple orb. Unfortunately, there was no information to be found.

The game decided to resume their journey on Suzanne's 17th birthday. The group had tried to argue that they should relax for the extra day but Suzanne had said otherwise.

"The greatest birthday present you guys could give me is to join me on the road again. There is still so much to do," Suzanne had said.

The group had also settled on a course of action to restart their journey. They would start by paying Bill and Polce a visit in the area Polce hoped to begin a new town. They wanted to see their old friend again before setting off. After that, the group would search for the Tower of Arp on the southwestern side of Malandoras.

"Remember what the Soo shaman, Banil, told us," Alice had reminded the group. "In this tower there's supposed to be an Echoing Flute that is supposed to help locate the orbs."

"A wise suggestion," agreed Suzanne. "We found the purple orb by chance. If we're to have any chance of finding the other five, we'll need such an item."

* * *

The group teleported to Portoga and they found Captain Marbeley and the _Mad Hound_ ready and waiting for them. After catching up with the captain the group set sail for where they had left Bill and Polce in eastern Malandoras. They found the forest had been cleared out a bit since they had first been there. There was a path that led from the edge of the forest to the lake where the four had met Polce. They now found there were several houses surrounding the lake in addition to the one that had been there before. There were even some people milling about, going about their business.

"Wow, I didn't think there'd be any more people here!" remarked Alice.

"Yeah, there wasn't a lot of time between when we visited and the seas becoming dangerous," noted Ron.

"There's even an inn and a shop here," noticed Suzanne.

"Let's go to the shop! I'm sure we'll find Bill there. He'll probably try to rope us into buying some rare item only found in these parts," laughed Ron.

"Of course, some people here might fall for such a trick," replied Alice.

Ron glared at her, "Hey! He didn't con me that one time. That was a perfectly good item I bought from him and I'm glad I spent the money on it."

"Sure you are Ron. Sure you are," Alice retorted.

The group entered the shop and they were surprised to find a woman behind the counter instead of Bill. Suzanne walked up to the clerk and asked, "Hello. Do you know where we could find a man named Bill?"

The woman smiled and answered, "Oh you must be those friends of his! You can find him in the building being built just south of here.

The four thanked the woman and went to the building she spoke of. They found a shell of a building just south of the shop. There were a few men working on the construction while Bill appeared to be looking over their work.

"Hey Bill!" called Ron.

Bill spun around and saw the group. He walked up to them, shaking his head and smiling, "Well if it isn't you lot. I suppose you must have blown all your money by now?"

"Nice to see you haven't changed a bit," laughed Alice. "Looks like the town has really shaped up since last we were here. I can't believe this many people came before the waters froze over!"

"Well I don't like to brag, but I may have had something to do with that," said Bill, as the four rolled their eyes at his statement. "I can't believe old Polce just waited around here for people to show up! No, I took some action. I gathered up some items around the area that I'd never seen before and used a wing of wyvern to go to Portoga. I went around advertising and selling the rare goods of Malandoras and telling people of a wonderful place where they could either start over or make some quick gold. Then I traveled to some other regions. I used the money I made to rent a ship back over here."

"Rare goods of Malandoras huh?" commented Alice. "I knew that'd fit in somewhere."

"Now I've got some volunteers to go make the next recruiting trip for me," continued Bill. "But we need some more things to draw the people in. So I'm overseeing the construction of a theater. Without a strict government to rule over the entertainment industry here, I think that this will bring a lot of people, both artists and viewers, over here. With no censorship laws or danger of enraging the king, it's an artist's dream!"

"That does sound like a really great plan," complemented Suzanne. "Sounds like you're having a great time here after all."

"I'm sorry I can't come back with you guys. You must be so lost without me," apologized Bill. "But I have a good thing going over here."

"We understand, man. Sounds like you're really raking it in here," said Ron.

"But hey! How would you guys like some Malandorian merchandise? I've got some herbs in the shop that heal all sorts of injuries! You won't find them anywhere else!" asked Bill.

Ron's eyes lit up, "Oh really? Well let's take a look at - "

"Not today Bill," cut off Alice, giving Ron a quick elbow to the ribs. "We have to be going."

Bill's cheerfulness dropped a little bit, "Oh not today? Well be sure to come back sometime! I'll have even more wonderful goods by then!"

* * *

The four returned to the _Mad Hound_ and set off for the southwestern region of Malandoras. The group took a somewhat unorthodox route there. If they wanted to simply go around Malandoras, it would take four days to reach the region. However, Alice studies the maps she had and decided that it would be much quicker to teleport to Jipang and set off from there. Indeed, it took only two days from Jipang to reach the western coast of Malandoras. The group took to land to search for the tower.

According to all information and maps the group found on the tower they guessed it was in the field in southwestern Malandoras. The group could see the tower from where they docked due to its height and proximity to the shore.

"So what's the scoop on this place?" asked Ron.

"According to what I've read, it was built by the elves before the First Great War as a tribute to some god-bird. It's said that the reason there's no roof over the top floor was so this bird could make this tower its nest," explained Alice.

"Oh that's great. Our last meeting with the elves went so well," commented Thomas dryly.

"Well at least they didn't try to kill us. The elves were driven out of this tower and the region during the First Great War. They returned some time later only to be driven out again by Desmond's forces in the Second Great War. I would guess that this place is home only to monsters now," said Alice.

"I don't suppose you found any maps of the interior?" asked Suzanne.

Alice laughed nervously, "As usual, I did not."

"It wouldn't be right if we didn't walk blind into a hostile area looking for some trinket or other," noted Thomas.

"Well we know the drill by now," said Suzanne.

As the group approached the tower they found that there was a group of three men in crimson armor guarding the entrance.

"Does anyone know what nation sports crimson as their colors?" asked Suzanne.

"Samanao I believe. I remember reading about them during my brief stint as Emperor," answered Ron.

"Excellent! If we talk with them we might find out more about their land. We might even figure out how to get there!" said Suzanne.

The four approached the soldiers with their arms raised high, meaning to show their lack of malicious intent. When the soldiers spotted the group, however, they immediately drew their swords. The group halted in their tracks, not wanting to provoke the men.

"We come in peace!" Suzanne called out to them. "We just want to talk!"

The three men appeared to talk amongst each other for a short time and then suddenly charged at the group.

"Either they don't believe us or they really hate getting visitors!" warned Ron.

"Try not to kill them, guys!" advised Suzanne.

The four had no choice but to draw their weapons and prepare their spells. Alice took out the staff they received from the Soo and spoke the command word, gesturing forward at the soldiers. The stream of fire materialized and struck the men, but only the man in the middle of their formation seemed to be affected.

"They must have magic-resistant armor!" yelled Alice.

Thomas had been preparing a sleeping spell, but at Alice's warning decided that it would be useless. Thomas drew out his sword instead. Suzanne and Ron were already rushing to meet the men in melee. Suzanne barely managed to block her foe's strike with her shield, though her counterattack was similarly blocked. Ron executed a cunning sidestep followed with a slash to his opponent's midriff. The man's armor blocked the majority of the strike, but the strength of the blow knocked him back, almost taking his wind.

One of the three men had hung back from the melee and cast a spell. The group found themselves engulfed by the familiar purple light of a spell that increased their vulnerability to physical harm. Alice wasted no time busting out the counterspell, as the group now found themselves bathed in its yellow light.

Suzanne gave a low stab to her opponent's legs but in doing so let herself be slashed in the arm. Ron took a hit to his shoulder but managed to slice his foe's side, getting around the man's armor. Before the man could recover his fighting stance after taking the wound, Thomas rushed forward and landed a terrific blow to his neck, killing him. The spellcasting soldier ran into the melee at this point and gave a terrible wound to Thomas going from his shoulder to his hip.

Alice drew out her sword and ran over to help Suzanne. Her attacks were easily blocked by the more experience swordsman, but distracted him enough for Suzanne to run him through with her sword. Thomas backed out of melee with his foe and quickly cast a healing spell on himself. The man foolishly tried to follow him, opening his defenses to Ron in doing so. He managed to bring his shield back around to knock Ron's strike just enough to avoid being killed.

Unfortunately for the soldier, he was now severely outnumbered. Alice and Suzanne ran over to help Ron. Using Alice as a distraction again, Suzanne knocked the man across the face with the flat of her blade, knocking him out but not killing him.

The four had little time to relax, however. Drawn by the commotion, four more similarly armed and armored men had come around from the sides of the tower. Seeing the last moments of the fight, they now rushed at the group to avenge their comrades.

Since the soldiers wore magic-resistant armor and since the four new enemies were split into groups of two too far apart to target with a stream of fire or ground-rising ice, Suzanne knew that an attack spell from Alice would not be effective.

"Alice! Raise our attack power! Start with Ron!" yelled Suzanne.

Alice did as she was told and soon Ron was engulfed in crimson light. Ron, Suzanne, and Thomas formed the front line to protect Alice as the four soldiers drew near. Ron, under the influence of Alice's spell, ran one of the soldiers through with his sword. Suzanne took slashes from two soldiers to her left shoulder and midsection but returned with a slash of her own to one soldier's shoulder. Thomas tried to slash at the last soldier but had his attack blocked and then was knocked off his feet as the soldier used his shield to bash Thomas.

The soldier lifted his sword up to deal a terrible blow to the prone Thomas, but Alice had drawn out her own sword and leapt to Thomas' defense. She was not strong enough to completely block the soldier's blow, but she knocked it off course so that it missed Thomas. Ron attacked one of the soldiers who had slashed Suzanne and almost cleaved the man in two. Suzanne dueled with the last remaining of her opponents and managed a terrific sidestep around the man's attack and counterattacked, almost taking the man's sword arm off.

Thomas quickly got to his feet and together with Alice fought the other soldier. The soldier slashed Alice in the shoulder but left himself open to Thomas' attack, taking a slice to the knee. The man was unable to keep his footing and fell. Alice took advantage of the man's fall and stabbed him in the back of the neck. She breached the jugular in doing so and the man fell to the ground dead.

Suzanne tried once again to take out the last man without killing him. She swung with the flat of her blade but was surprised as the man knocked her sword out of her hand with his shield. She had thought he would be unable to put up much resistance with his sword arm being useless, but he followed his block up with a shield bash to Suzanne's face. Ron came to Suzanne's defense by also attacking with the flat of his blade. He struck the man in the face, but as a result of Ron's increased strength the man's face was almost taken off. He fell to the ground dead.

When no additional soldiers began running at the group, they began healing their wounds and discussing the situation.

"Damn it. We only could save one of them," cursed Suzanne.

"I'm sorry Susie. We should have tried harder not to kill them," apologized Alice.

"No, we did all we could. It's difficult, impractical, and dangerous to hold back against opponents that are trying to kill you," replied Suzanne.

"Ironically, their advanced armor may have led to their demise. If it weren't for their magic resistance, we could have put them to sleep. We could have saved more of them then," remarked Thomas.

"So do we interrogate the one we kept alive?" asked Ron.

"We can't take the chance now," said Suzanne, shaking her head. "Looking at where those other four came from, it looks like there are two other entrances to this tower. Those men were guarding this building. Besides that, they must have been ordered to kill anything on sight, or they would have at least considered our words of peace. Something is going on in this tower, and there's bound to be more soldiers in there. We need to press on and take the initiative before they realize the guards have been defeated. Then we should hold the element of surprise."

"Good idea. We better hurry then," agreed Ron.

* * *

After tying up their prisoner, the group finally made their way into the tower. There were three entrances into the tower, which is why the group met one group of soldiers first and then fought reinforcements from the sides. The initial group was guarding the south entrance and the reinforcements came from the west and east entrances. The three entrances led to a large room that was separate from the main portion of the tower. A door at the north end of the room led to the main tower, which extended upwards several stories.

"This room looks like a lobby of sorts, except for the fact that there's no furniture or decoration here," observed Suzanne.

"It was probably used as a social spot for the elves, as well as a room used to wait for ceremonies that were held here," theorized Alice.

"At least they were nice enough to clear the room of monsters and not post any additional men here," said Ron.

"This could be a trap," cautioned Thomas. "Those men had magic on their side. They may have triggered an alarm of sorts."

Then Suzanne led the team to the door leading to the main tower, "We'll have to try and be quiet then. It's a safe bet that there's several more men in the tower, all ordered to kill on sight, no questions asked. We will need surprise on our side."

The four found that the door was locked, though such trifles were mere annoyances with the Final Key. The group left their prisoner in the entrance lobby. They came into a hallway of sorts that went to both sides. It circled around the middle of the tower and the two ends of the hallway converged on the north side. The hallway was cut in the middle by a couple of doors on each side. Where the hallway converged was another door that led into a room in the center of the tower. Inside that room was a grand staircase leading upwards.

The group ascended the staircase as silently as they could. They found that there were four different hallways at the top. The group chose the one on the right side. As they came to the end of the hallway it opened into a middle sized room. In the room they found a group of three men dressed in green tunics. Although not soldiers, the four instantly knew these were not friends as their skin was colored purple.

"Zombies," whispered Thomas.

The four gave each other a nod and all four simultaneously sprung into action. Alice used her magic staff to send a stream of fire at the zombies. They all gave bone-chilling, inhuman screeches as their deteriorating flesh was burned by the magic. Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas all drew out their swords and ran at a separate zombie.

This was the first time the group received an opportunity to test the magic of the blades against the monsters they were designed to slay. They were happy to find that the tales had not been false sales pitches. The zombie slashers not only sliced through the zombies' skin and bone like butter but also left searing burns of light in the wound. The zombies' screeches intensified as the light overcame them and they crumbled to dust.

"That was pretty easy," said Alice perkily.

"Looks like the magic in these things works pretty well," observed Ron.

Suzanne, however, was troubled, "Why are there monsters here? Wouldn't those soldiers have cleared them out?"

"Maybe they're using those things. That may be why they have guards here: not necessarily because they've heard what we have regarding the tower but because it's out of the way and a good place to experiment with necromancy," suggested Thomas.

"Whatever the case, the closer we get to the top, the more likely our fighting is to alert any other soldiers still here. Be ready for any sort of trap guys," Suzanne warned.

The group resumed their search of the tower. This floor was almost completely empty. Three of the hallways led to rooms that had nothing in them. The last hallway led to an ascending staircase.

The next floor looked a lot more interesting. The entire floor seemed to consist of one giant room, about the size of the entrance lobby. However, there was a great hole in the middle. In the middle of that hole was the top of a small mini tower within the main tower. There appeared to be treasure chests on the top of the mini tower. The group could not get to that area though as the hole was simply way too large. Their access to the rest of the floor was similarly limited, as there was floor only in the corners of the room, and none of the corners connected. Luckily, there was another ascending staircase next to them.

"Geez, this is a weird place!" exclaimed Ron. "I wonder how we're supposed to get to that area with the chests over there? Why did they think it was a good idea to put a giant hole in the floor here?"

"It was built for a giant bird after all," answered Alice. "Maybe this hole is big enough for the bird to fly freely through here."

The group went up to the next floor and found a similar layout. There was still a giant hole in the middle. However, the solid floor was continuous and outlined the hole, allowing for more exploration. Unfortunately, the floor was also narrower, to the point that in some places the group would have to walk single file. Even more unfortunately were the two Hades' Condors that were flying around and the two bird-head monsters on the ground. Unlike the bird-head monsters that the group had already encountered, these were blue in color.

"Go for the Condors first, guys!" called out Suzanne. "We don't want anyone getting teleported away!"

Alice had just the spell in mind. At the end of her incantation a large explosion went off, engulfing all the combatants. Incredibly, the four humans were unharmed by it. The four bird enemies, on the other hand, were visibly wounded. The two Condors almost fell out of the air, but managed to regain their flight before falling too far.

The bird-head enemies quickly mounted a counter strike. One of them ran at Alice, only to be cut off by Ron. The creature launched a flurry of attacks on him, pecking at him with its huge beak and scratching him with its talons. Ron's own strike missed the agile creature. The other bird-head cast a spell of its own and the group was hit by a mini tornado, slicing them with dust and debris.

The Hades' Condors were beginning their spells but made sure to stay out of reach keeping flight above the hole. Thomas and Suzanne had anticipated this tactic, however. The two chanted spells of their own and finished them before the Condors. Suzanne sent out a strong stream of fire, the same as Alice's favorite spell. Thomas sent out a mini tornado of his own. Having taken a beating from three spells by this point, the Condors fell out of the sky and landed hard on the ground below.

Alice drew out her sword and joined Ron in combat against his bird-head. She managed a cut to the creature's head that went across its right eye. Dazed at its sudden decrease in sight, it was unable to dodge Ron's coup de grace as he stabbed the creature just below its beak. The four got hit by two mini tornadoes. Somehow, the last bird-head had cast two spells at once.

Suzanne and Thomas ran at the creature to finish it off. Thomas feinted with his strike, which drove the creature straight into Suzanne's powerful horizontal slash. The bird-head's legs were cleanly removed and it thudded to the ground, unable to move. Suzanne put the creature out of its misery.

"Damn, that was a tough one," said Ron, as he tried to catch her breath. "Those spells they cast sure add up."

"I can't believe it was able to cast two spells at once," commented Suzanne.

"From what we've seen, those things can move their legs and beaks pretty much independently. Add in the fact that there's more than one way to cast some spells and it probably cast a spell with its beak and one with its legs," theorized Alice.

After Thomas finished his healing rounds, Suzanne hurried the group further, "That explosion must've alerted everything else here to our presence. The element of surprise is gone but we can still get them before they have too much of a chance to react."

"I'm sorry Susie. I didn't think about that," apologized Alice.

"Don't apologize, you did the right thing. If it weren't for you, one of us would be who knows where while the rest of us would have gotten a few extra doses of wind spells," replied Suzanne.

There were three other descending staircases on the floor. They all led to the other corners of the previous floor, which were empty. They returned to the fourth floor and found an ascending staircase in the northeast corner. The group quickly ascended.

The group came to the roof of the tower. Although there were walls rising on the edges there was no ceiling or additional floors. This floor featured the same hole in the middle of the floor and in this case solid ground was put in two parts. The north end of the room where the group stood was a solid "shore" of land but the other side was cut up into three small pieces. In this case, the group would be able to traverse the hole as there were tightropes drawn all across the hole.

"That's it," said Ron. "The top. And I don't see any more soldiers."

"You know," replied Alice thoughtfully. "Those doors on the ground floor looked fairly new compared to everything else in the tower. Besides that, they were damaged by monsters from the looks of it. I'm wondering if the soldiers didn't just seal off the ground floor from monsters and guard the entrance."

"So they were sent to guard the place but not to secure anything here?" wondered Suzanne. "Why would they do anything like that? That just seems stupid."

"Let's not also forget they were apparently ordered to kill on sight," reminded Thomas. "It's like they knew people would come here for something, but didn't actually want to use that something."

"We'll have to ask our friend out there when we finish here," said Ron.

"Speaking of friends, we have some company!" warned Thomas, pointing to the sky.

There were two large wingless serpents flying toward the tower from the north. The group came to the grim realization that they had seen these things before.

"Those are the same dragons from the Tower of Garuna!" warned Alice.

"Two huh? This is going to be fun," said Ron sarcastically.

"Alice, cover us with your magic. Thomas, if they both stay out of melee range to use their breath weapons we fight back with magic as well. Otherwise, we three focus on one until we're sure it's dead," commanded Suzanne.

The other three nodded and waited for the dragons to get into range. When they did, mayhem broke loose quickly. As Alice released her spell, causing spines of ice to rise up and strike the dragons before bursting. At the same time, both let loose their fiery breath, engulfing the entire floor on which the group stood with fire. The four suffered severe burns but were still able to fight.

The dragons had no intention of staying away, as Suzanne had feared, and came in with their claws. They both went straight for Alice, forcing Suzanne to cut one off while Thomas and Ron focused on the other. They timed their attack perfectly so that they simultaneously stabbed into opposite sides of the dragon's head. The creature gave a terrible cry and fell to the ground, dead.

Suzanne aimed a slash at her dragon's head but it jerked its head to the side, causing Suzanne's attack to glance off the creature's scaly armor. It followed up with a quick and vicious bite to Suzanne's arm, almost taking it off. She managed to fall backwards enough before contact to avoid that fate, though the dragon got a nice chunk of metal and flesh for its effort.

Alice quickly chanted a healing spell for Suzanne. She had learned how to cast Thomas' stronger healing spell, fortunately for Suzanne. Although there was still a vicious gash at the site of the bite, the majority of the flesh and muscle she lost regenerated. Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas ganged up on the beast with a vicious flurry of slashes to its face. The attacks left the creature without eyes and writhing in pain. It exposed its soft belly, allowing the three to finish it off easily.

"Another close one," commented Thomas, after they made sure the beasts were dead. "Alice sure came through with her healing magic. Wouldn't want you to lose your arm again Susie."

"Yeah, thanks for the save Alice," thanked Suzanne.

"It was nothing," returned Alice.

"But man, two dragons. Do you guys realize we've slain four dragons now? Can you believe it?" asked Ron.

"Yeah. Our power and skill has progressed tremendously over our quest," observed Suzanne. "A good thing too, we're going to need all the assets we can get."

The group healed up and carefully crossed the tight ropes to the other side of the room. They found three treasure chests in the "islands" on the other side. Alice checked them and found two of them were traps, but the other one was okay. Unfortunately, it only contained a torn up set of clothes.

"No Echoing Flute," said Ron. "Now what?"

"We have to get to the top of that mini tower. It had some treasure chests on it. And I think I know how to get there," answered Suzanne.

She went to about the middle of the giant hole and looked down. "If we jump from here, we'll get to the mini tower. Alice, do you think you could lower yourself down?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not this time, Susie. My magic is tapped. I don't think I could slow the fall of a grain of sand right now," Alice answered.

"Well then I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," said Suzanne. She returned to solid floor to get some rope and a hook from her pack. She carefully went out to the center again and connected her rope to the tightrope. Using her rope, she lowered herself down. The other three followed suit.

"I suppose you can't check the chests either?" asked Suzanne to Alice. Alice shook her head. "Well I guess we'll have to be careful then. Look lively guys!" said Suzanne.

They carefully opened each chest one by one and were relieved to find none were monsters. Inside them they found a small sum of gold, two magic acorns, and a flute.

"Can you check if this is it?" asked Suzanne. Alice shook her head again. "Well then, I guess we'll just have to check later. We better leave now though. We're in no shape to get into any more fights."

"This could be bad. If Alice can't teleport us, then we'll have to risk spending the night here," said Ron.

"I can handle the teleportation," said Suzanne. She cast the spell and transported the four out of the tower. They then went back inside to check on their prisoner.

They found the man where they left him, still bound and still unconscious. Ron went over to pick him up when suddenly Thomas stopped him.

"Wait!" warned Thomas. "Something isn't right. Let me examine him."

Ron backed off and let Thomas examine the man. As Thomas did so, he was very careful not to touch the man.

"Damn! They must have been instructed to kill themselves if they were captured!" cursed Thomas.

"What's wrong?" asked Suzanne.

"He's dead! Poisoned. They must all have vials in their mouths. Not just any poison either. It's called the Last Stand. Desmond's forces used it in the Second Great War to avoid capture. It not only kills, but it affects the skin as well. Any who touch the afflicted get infected as well. What's even worse, it eventually turns its victims into zombies," explained Thomas.

"That explains the zombies we fought. But I don't see anything wrong with his skin. How did you know what happened?" Suzanne asked.

"The poison gives off a faint dark aura. I thought it was part of their armor when we fought them. Even when we fought the zombies I didn't remember. But it hit me just before Ron picked the body up," answered Thomas.

"Wait, did we get this poison when we fought the zombies?" asked Ron.

"I don't think so. By the time the body is zombified, the poison is no longer contagious. But just in case, I better check everyone," Thomas said. With that, he quickly checked the group and all were relieved to find his search turn up negative.

"You know," said Alice thoughtfully, "Those zombies we fought weren't in armor. If they weren't soldiers then who were they?"

"Actually, few zombies can use armor without it crushing them. The strength that they put into their blows comes from the dark energy that is their life force," explained Thomas. "They focus the energy when they strike. But they can't sustain that focus over their entire body for long enough to support armor."

"There is definitely something suspicious about these men," said Ron, referring to the soldiers. "Were they guarding this tower because of the flute?"

"We probably won't know until we find Samanao," replied Suzanne.

* * *

Author's Note: Been a while huh? School has a habit of sucking time and motivation to write from me. Hope everyone had a nice time over the holidays.


	18. Chapter 17: Purpose

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 17: Purpose

The team wasted little time testing out the Echoing Flute. The first thing to do was test to see if it did as advertised. Luckily, they already had the purple orb from Jipang to use for the tests. They found that the flute indeed made an echo when it was near the orb, and no echo when it was far away. The range on the magic seemed to be around five miles. The four decided to play the flute periodically so that they did not run the risk of missing an orb that was near. Unfortunately, none of the flute's magic improved the musical skill of the flute player.

"For the love of peace, will you stop that!" yelled Ron.

At first, the group had decided to rotate the flute around. Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas were all satisfied with playing a couple notes every ten minutes or so. Alice, on the other hand, had taken to trying to play songs with the flute.

"I swear, it's a wonder that none of the crew has moved to throw you and that damned flute overboard!" exclaimed Ron.

"That's because you're the only one bothered by my music. Everyone else finds it soothing," countered Alice.

"Like hell they do! Why do you think Tom went below deck? Why do you think all the sailors keep cringing as they walk by?" asked Ron.

"I find the bickering between you two most annoying," groaned Suzanne. "And Alice, you're not going to play music when we hit shore. We don't want to alert every monster and cannibal within a mile to our presence."

Having acquired both the Final Key and the Echoing Flute the group had decided to retrace their journey to see if they had unwittingly passed by any orbs in their travels so far. Of course, the flute's range was not incredibly great, so the group had to do a fair amount of searching. They decided to focus their searches around the settlements they had come upon, hoping that the other orbs were possessed by people and regarded as important treasures as the purple orb had been. Unfortunately, after three and a half weeks of searching the group had yet to find another orb.

The four were now on their way to southern Tarasia around the area of Tedanki, the ghost village from which the group had first heard of the Final Key and bought their extraordinary equipment from. The group planned to search the area for any sign of the orb, but knew they were running an awful risk going into the Archfiend's territory with its sponsored cannibals about. Nevertheless, they could not risk that there was an orb in the area.

The _Mad Hound _set course for the town of Tedanki. The four hoped to use the ghost town as a base for their search. Suzanne theorized that they would not be bothered there by the cannibals as they had probably finished looking there for physical food long ago. The group landed in the mid afternoon.

* * *

The group made a quick stop in Tedanki before beginning their true search. As they expected, the place was devoid of people, being that the sun had not set yet. The four went out on their search, mindful of their position in relation to Tedanki.

The group did not have long before night came. They only managed a couple hours of searching before the sun came even with the horizon.

"I'd say it's just about time to call it a day," said Ron. "We don't want to be out too long at night. Too easy to get ambushed by cannibals."

"I agree," said Suzanne. "We better get back to – "

"Did you guys hear that?" asked Alice suddenly.

Suzanne and Ron turned to Alice to see that both she and Thomas had looks of surprise on their faces. It was Thomas' turn to use the flute and he played another note with it. Focusing on the noise of the note, both of them could hear an audible echo.

"That sounds pretty good. We must have gotten close to an orb!" exclaimed Ron.

"But we've been playing this flute the entire time and didn't hear an echo until now. And that echo was a lot stronger than the echo we heard in our tests when we were at the edge of the flute's range," pointed out Alice.

"You're right. Considering the intervals we've been playing the flute there shouldn't be any way the echo would come in so clearly now," agreed Suzanne. "It's like we suddenly jumped from being more than five miles away to being within three or so."

"Do you think the Archfiend's forces found out about the flute? Maybe they found some way to confound it and they're setting up a trap for us," suggested Ron.

Thomas had an idea, "About how far away are we from Tedanki?"

Alice consulted her maps and checked the surroundings for landmarks, "About two and a half miles!" she exclaimed, catching on to what Thomas was suggesting. The four looked at the horizon and found that the sun had sunken below it completely.

"So it would seem there is an orb in Tedanki," said Suzanne, catching on as well.

"That place is just full of mysterious things," Ron added. "If there is an orb there, I just hope it's like the equipment and doesn't disappear once we get it."

* * *

As the group made their way back to Tedanki they found that the echoes became more and more audible as they went. After they entered the ghost town, now fully populated once again, they went into a game of hot and cold. It took careful listening but eventually the four narrowed the orb's location down to the northeast corner of town, where the prison was.

"Well it's clearly somewhere in this area," said Suzanne. "But I don't think that the flute will help us anymore. The change in volume and clarity just isn't good enough over such a small area. We'll need to comb the area carefully."

"It could be in someone's possession," suggested Ron. "We'll have to talk with everyone in the area."

"It could also be buried," said Thomas. "That would make it very difficult to find."

"That'd be near impossible if it only shows up at night. Plus, the ghosts might take offense if we start digging their land," said Alice.

"Let's focus on people first," suggested Suzanne. "With the exception of a ghost's possessions all non-human objects here seem unaffected by the ghostly nature of the town. We only detected the orb after sunset so it seems likely that it is in someone's possession."

The other three agreed and the four spread out to search. Suzanne went to talk with the old man who had told her about the Final Key. Thomas and Alice went to talk with others around the area. Ron stayed at the prison.

There were only two people at the prison: a guard and an inmate. The prison was in similar disarray to the rest of the town. On one side of the cell door the wall had collapsed. The guard was standing in front of this new entrance to the cell, but with his back towards the prisoner. Ron could only chuckle as he looked at it. If the people of the ghost town were not disillusioned as to the state of the buildings the prisoner would no doubt see this opening, hit the guard in the back of the head, and escape.

Ron walked up to the guard and asked him, "Out of curiosity, why is this man in jail?"

The guard eyed Ron suspiciously. Ron could see the man paid particular attention to Ron's weapon. "He has been found guilty of theft of this town's finest treasure: the Sage's Jewel," he answered.

Wondering if this jewel had any relation to an orb, Ron asked, "What does this jewel look like?"

The guard gave Ron a glare. "I don't trust you," he said. "How do I know you're not this man's partner, come to free him from jail and help him steal our treasure?"

Ron put his hands up defensively, "Look, I don't mean any trouble. I was just curious."

The guard grunted, clearly not entirely convinced. "It's about this big," he answered, showing the size with his hands. "It's entirely spherical and it glows with a brilliant green light."

"Why is it called the Sage's Jewel?" Ron asked.

The guard was getting pissed now. "I don't know! Do I look like a jewelry expert or something! Do you know what they pay me for!"

"What do they pay you for?" asked Ron, trying to keep from angering the guard further.

To Ron's alarm the guard pulled out his sword. He pointed it directly behind him, in the space of the open wall, and moved it back and forth. "To guard this door here and the dirtbag behind it! Hear the clanging my sword is making on the bars? Because if you keep asking questions you'll be hearing it for a while! Is that what you want!"

"No sir. I'm sorry sir," answered Ron. He decided this would be a good time to leave the prison.

Ron waited where the group split up for the other three to return. After about an hour the three returned.

"I heard something interesting," began Suzanne. "This town apparently has a treasure called the Sage's Jewel. Its description sounds identical to the purple orb we already have, except this one is green. Other than that, I didn't hear where they keep it."

"We did," chimed Alice. "We were led to the vault where they keep the town's treasures. There's a hole in the back of the building and, of course, nobody here acted like it was there. So we went inside. We weren't planning on stealing it from them, mind you, but we just wanted to see if it was an orb."

Thomas took the story from there, "The treasures were all gone. I'd guess that the cannibals got to them a long time ago."

"So where is this jewel?" asked Suzanne.

"Don't know how good a lead it is but I found something strange at the prison. The man locked up there is there because he tried to steal the jewel," explained Ron. "The guard was pretty defensive about it. But most curiously, he acted like the door to the prison is in the spot where the wall is missing there. He even took his sword out and acted like he was clanging it on cell bars."

"That is strange," said Suzanne. "The villagers ignore any sort of structural damage like missing walls but the cell door is clearly there. And it doesn't look like it got pushed to the side or knocked off; it's connected securely to the wall that's still there, like it belongs there."

"Bit of a puzzle here," Alice pointed out. "The flute clearly points to an orb in this part of town. The ghosts are clearly stuck with the illusion of their town and lives before they were destroyed. They point to this jewel of theirs being in the vault, but it's not there. Meanwhile, the guard is mistaken as to the exact location of the door to the cell."

"Perhaps we should ask the thief held in prison," suggested Thomas. "He may have duped the authorities with a phony before he was caught. Maybe he knows where the orb is."

"That's a good idea but the guard is really paranoid about people trying to steal the jewel," cautioned Ron. "He'll start yelling at you about being in league with the guy. Ask too many questions and he'll chase you away."

"I think someone other than Ron should examine the cell door, alone," said Suzanne. "That way, if he chases the person away we still have two people left he won't suspect. If all else fails, we wait until tomorrow night. The last two times we were here the villagers we met forgot us completely. I don't think the guard will be any different."

"Whoever does it shouldn't ask him for permission to examine the door," suggested Ron. "Maybe he thinks the cell door is just a wall and will think you're just eccentric. But if you ask him for permission to examine the 'wall' then he'll think you're planting a device and being shifty or something."

"Won't he get suspicious if one of us just walks up and starts examining a 'wall?'" asked Alice.

"We'll just do as much as we can before he kicks us out," replied Suzanne.

* * *

The group decided to send Alice to examine the cell door. With all the time the group had spent investigating, dawn had almost arrived. The four were very sure that their time for this task was almost up for this night. As Ron had advised, Alice walked up to the cell door and started looking at it without speaking to the guard. The guard gave her a glare as she walked towards it, but started ignoring her when she arrived at the door. Alice took this to be a good sign and started her examination.

Alice conducted some minor magical tests to try not to alert the guard but the results were inconclusive. Although there was certainly some mysterious magic around the door, the whole town was filled with mysterious magic. Compared with the rest of the town there was nothing out of the ordinary with the door.

Alice decided to try something daring. She did not want to get her weapons out as that would surely alarm the guard so she left quickly to find a stick lying around. She returned to the cell door to bang the stick between the bars. The guard once again gave her a glare as she approached but ignored her as she arrived at the door. When Alice clanged the metal the guard still paid no notice to Alice.

Now Alice was perplexed by the guard's lack of notice. She decided to disregard Ron's advice and ask, "Did you notice any noises a second ago?" But amazingly, the guard did not respond. Alice came to a conclusion: this space she was standing in right next to the cell door was somehow invisible to the ghostly guard just as the town's destruction was.

Alice decided to try something really daring. She pulled out the Final Key, unlocked the door, and walked right in. The guard still did not flinch. Alice looked upon the prisoner, who was sitting in a corner of the cell. He was dressed in typical white and black striped prisoner garb. He was very thin and slender.

Alice was surprised when the man grinned as she entered. "About time," he said. "Seeing you all walk right by here over and over I was beginning to wonder if you would ever come in here."

"You remember seeing us?" asked Alice. "And how did you know one of us would eventually walk in here?"

"That's something you'll just have to figure out on your own," said the thief with a smile. "I wound up entangled in this town's destiny by chance. I was a greedy man looking for wealth that was not mine. Did you know they didn't actually catch me? I just happened to be in the vault when the Archfiend's forces destroyed the place."

The thief gave a sigh and looked to be deep in thought for a moment and then continued, "I've been here for all that time. I don't even know how long it's been. I died with the rest of them and they chose me to be their messenger I guess. As you can tell, I do not relive the same day over and over. They needed me to talk to you."

The thief took a step to the side to try and get a good look at the town outside the destroyed wall, though the guard was still in his way. "They refused to go away," the thief continued. "The Archfiend couldn't simply do away with them. They knew they had a purpose, a reason to stick around. That bastard couldn't stop them."

The thief turned back to the corner where he was sitting. Alice had been so focused on the ghost that she did not see what was in the corner. There was an orb there glowing with a brilliant green light. It was identical to the purple orb the party already had except in color.

The thief motioned to the orb, "The town's ghostly nature has kept it safe from the Archfiend. From what I've heard from the other ghosts, this orb has always been a part of the town. But now it is time for it to leave. You better take it into your possession before morning."

Alice gasped when she looked back at the man. Indeed, he was starting to fade away. She looked at the guard and any other ghosts she could see from inside the cell. They were all fading. The orb was fading as well. Alice quickly went and scooped it up. As soon as she picked it up, the orb became completely solid again.

* * *

"So what do you guys think?" asked Alice. The group was walking back from the vault in Aliahan where they had deposited the green orb from Tedanki. After Alice returned to the other three with the green orb, the four decided to teleport to Aliahan to rest for a few hours and deposit the orb. Then Alice relayed her story to them and they were now thinking over it as they walked away from the vault.

"I think they should have named that town 'Strangeville,'" replied Ron with a chuckle. "That place may have been the strangest we've visited in our journey."

"I can't help but wonder at the thief's words though," said Suzanne. "He told Alice he was just a simple thief but what kind of simple thief speaks so cryptically?"

"It is said that the spirits of the living remain as ghosts when they have strong attachment to the world and refuse to accept their death," said Thomas thoughtfully. "When we first went there, I thought the Archfiend had cursed them; that it had not allowed them to rest. Now I think the entire town wanted to remain. Like the thief said, they had a purpose to fulfill yet."

"But what was that purpose?" asked Suzanne.

"Maybe it was to help people fight the Archfiend," proposed Alice. "Think about it. They had an orb and the equipment sold there is some of the best we've ever heard of. I think somehow the people of that town knew they had a grand purpose to fulfill. Without their equipment we probably would've been defeated already. And who knows how their orb will help us?"

"So they remained so that they could help us? What makes us so special?" asked Ron.

"Not necessarily us," answered Suzanne. "They wanted to help humanity. They had things to give in the fight against the Archfiend. We just happened to be the direct recipients."

"I have a feeling we won't see them again," said Thomas thoughtfully. "Their purpose is now fulfilled. They have no more reason to remain."

"I hope so," answered Ron. "They deserve the rest."

* * *

The group decided to return to the town of Lancel. Alice remembered that there was a large shrine there that they could not enter as the entrances were all sealed by a force to strong for the magic key of Isis. The shrine had three entrances: two side doors and a large main door. The group made for the left side door and tried the Final Key. The key expelled the enchantments on the door and opened it.

Inside the room was a man dressed in elegant robes peering at a crystal ball. However, the room did not connect to the main part of the shrine and did not have any other doors or exits inside.

"Hello sir," greeted Suzanne. "May we ask why this shrine is sealed off from the rest of the town?"

"Due to its importance, certain security measures had to be taken. This is the Shrine of Courage. This shrine has been given the burden of protection over two orbs of legend. I know you have two of them," explained the man.

"How could you know that?" asked Suzanne.

"I am a seer that serves this shrine," answered the man. "In the other side door you will find another seer. We have been given responsibility over the yellow orb: also called the Wayfarer Gem. This orb has traveled the world and continues to travel to this day. It will be almost impossible to find."

"What can you tell us to help us in finding it?" asked Suzanne.

"The orb has been in the possession of humans for a while. It appears valuable though none of its owners know its true value," explained the seer. "But it switches hands often. You could track down every rich person in this world and not find it."

"So how do we find it?" asked Suzanne.

"I do not know. Speak to the other seer. Maybe he can tell you," answered the seer.

The four left the room and moved to the right side door. Once again, the Final Key opened the door. Inside this room was another man dressed identically to the man in the left room. This man also had a crystal ball in front of him.

"Ah yes," began the man. "The current owners of the Final Key. Possessors of the purple and green orbs. Your courage has been demonstrated. You are worthy."

"Thank you," said Suzanne. "The other seer has told us some of the yellow orb. We were hoping you could tell us where it is."

"An impossible task," answered the seer. "All orbs' destinies are shrouded. No seer could possibly locate an orb through his magic."

Suzanne was confused, "But then how could you and the other seer know we have two of the orbs?"

"We cannot find an orb's exact destiny but we can see what it is connected to. When I and the other seer have searched for the purple and green orbs we see you," replied the seer.

"What do you mean?" inquired Suzanne.

"All people and objects have important connections," explained the seer. "For people many of these connections are other people: friends and allies. Even enemies are a great connection. For objects it is similar. They are connected to their owners, their places of storage, or the events that lead to their new owner."

"So what connections have you found?" asked Suzanne.

"Only one. This connection is most perplexing," admitted the seer. "It is hard to put into words, but I will try. 'Departed companions will once again help you.' I cannot think as to what it means."

"What do you mean by 'departed'?" asked Suzanne. "Do you mean dead?"

"I cannot say," answered the seer. "All I can say is that somehow a companion of the orb's next significant owner will be aided by a 'departed companion'. If that is to be you, then maybe you should think of anyone you know who has in some way departed and who you consider a companion."

"What about the other orbs?" wondered Suzanne. "Can you tell us about them?"

"For the red orb I see no connections strong enough to view. For the silver orb I see incredible danger. That orb is involved with great peril. And I believe you will soon find the blue orb," said the seer.

"Thank you for the information," said Suzanne. "You have been a great help."

The four left the side room and started for the main entrance to the shrine.

"It seems like this town also has a purpose," pointed out Alice. "This shrine has now given us a lead on another orb and the seers claimed that this shrine is in charge of two orbs. Maybe the main room will lead us to another orb."

"Shrines and legends often emerge around powerful artifacts," said Thomas. "When a powerful artifact ends up in the hands of a good person that person always seeks to protect it."

"I think I understand now," said Suzanne thoughtfully. "We've been so worried about nations helping us out and fighting the Archfiend. But many people don't live in a large nation. And they can still help. It doesn't matter if you live in a small city-state or a huge empire. Everyone can help. Everyone has a purpose."

* * *

Author's Note: School's out for the summer so hopefully I'll be able to update much more often.


	19. Chapter 18: Test of Courage

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 18: Test of Courage

The group left the side room and finally entered the main entrance to the shrine. They came into a large, decorated room. There was no furniture in the room but beautiful paintings adorned the walls. The paintings showed various warriors and mages fighting horrific battles against a variety of foes. Inside the room was only one man. The man was dressed in clerical robes. He had a somewhat heavy build but a kind face. He was standing in front of a door at the back of the room. He smiled as the group entered.

"Greetings!" said the man. "You have come to the Shrine of Courage. I am the cleric in charge here. How may I help you?"

"We just spoke with the seers in the side rooms," said Suzanne. "They've been telling us about the yellow orb. Can you tell us anything about it?"

"I know nothing about any orbs," replied the cleric. "I am in charge of administering the Test of Courage to the worthy."

"What is the Test of Courage?" asked Suzanne.

"This shrine was founded on one principle: 'A man can be measured by his courage,'" the cleric began to explain. "Beyond this passageway is a tunnel that leads underneath the mountain to a small desert. In the middle of the desert is a cave we call the Navel of the Earth. It is said to be a perilous place, filled with monsters and traps."

"'Said to be'?" echoed Suzanne. "Are you telling us you don't know?"

"Facing the unknown is an essential part of courage," replied the cleric. "Maybe there are no monsters in the Navel, and the courageous will find an easy trek through the cave. Maybe there are worse than monsters in the Navel. I administer the test but I have not taken it. I do not know what waits in the Navel."

"What is the reward for this test?" asked Suzanne.

"I am afraid I do not know that either," answered the cleric with a chuckle. "Maybe there is great treasure in this cave. Maybe the only reward is the pride one finds in facing his or her fears and living to tell the tale."

Alice slipped a suggestion to Suzanne, "Hey Susie. Maybe there's an orb in this Navel of the Earth. One of the seers did say we'd find the blue orb. And they said this shrine accounts for two orbs. Well the yellow orb is missing so the blue orb has to be here!"

"They also stated they can't actually see the orbs but only the connections they have," said Thomas. "If the yellow orb is not here then who is to say that the blue orb didn't also leave?"

"We can use the Echoing Flute when we're close enough," Ron reminded the group. "Then we'll know for sure."

"That's a good idea," agreed Suzanne. "If there's no echo when we're close to the Navel then we turn back."

Suzanne turned back to the cleric and told him, "We want to take the test."

The cleric laughed after Suzanne told him this, drawing many confused looks from the four. "'We' indeed! I am afraid not! Only one who has the courage to fight alone can take the test. I will not allow more than one in at a time."

Suzanne excused herself from the cleric for a moment to talk this news over with her friends. "Well that doesn't bode well for us. As a group we're formidable but on our own each one of us is vulnerable."

"What's to stop us all from going in? This one cleric here?" asked Ron. "I say we just shove past him and check it out."

"You would break this shrine's laws for your own benefit?" accused Thomas.

"_Our _own benefit and it wouldn't be the first time we did!" defended Ron. "Remember the time we got rid of a dictator? How many of his laws did we break in that endeavor?"

"That man was not a true ruler but an outlaw," replied Thomas. "Besides that he used people for his own gain and profit. People died needlessly under his rule."

"If we send only one of us into that cave then that person could die needlessly!" retorted Ron.

"But at his or her own choice," said Thomas. "Look, I agree with you. It's a stupid rule. But it's a rule that doesn't force people to make choices they don't want or to get hurt. Anyone of us who takes this test is well aware of the risk involved. I'd much rather we could all go into this cave but is it worth it to bend a tradition of this area for our own gain? Just what are we fighting against again?"

Ron looked like he was about to hit Thomas but then suddenly calmed down and said, "You're right. They're not forcing us to do this. If we strong-armed our will unto them then we'd be the villains, even if we have good intentions. Okay, I volunteer to take this test."

"Wait just a moment!" piped in Alice. "You don't have any magic at all! What happens if you come across a hoard of armored monsters? Let me handle this."

"You?" asked Ron with a laugh, causing him to receive a glare from Alice. "Your swordsmanship has improved but you've still got some work to do. What happens when you get cornered by a horde of beasts? You don't have the skill to beat them back with your sword and you won't have the time to work your magic."

"And neither of you are skilled in the healing arts," cut in Thomas. "If one of you gets hurt you'll be in a sour place. I can keep myself going long enough to get out of sticky situations if need be."

"But you're not skilled with a sword either," said Suzanne. "So I'm going in."

The others were about to protest but Suzanne raised her voice to silence them. "Think about it. I have enough skill with a sword to fight my way out of corners. I have some healing magic, though not as much as Thomas. I have enough to keep me going though. I also know some offensive spells to take out groups. I even know teleportation magic to get out of there if I need to. You guys are all better than me in some way but if only one person is going in then we need someone well-rounded and that's me."

The other three listened to her story and begrudgingly acknowledged she was right.

"What if teleportation is not allowed?" asked Thomas. "Retreat doesn't sound very courageous. Maybe they don't allow retries if you come back."

Suzanne turned back to the cleric to pose him the question.

"The courage to admit when you've met your limits is valuable as well," answered the cleric. "If an unskilled warrior were to dive into battle with a host of dragons it is not courage but foolishness that guides his actions. You are allowed to take the Test as often as you like so long as life still flows through your being."

"That settles it then," declared Suzanne. "I will take the Test."

"Excellent," said the cleric. "Follow me this way."

* * *

After getting her equipment straight and exchanging a few items with her comrades Suzanne followed the cleric down the tunnel leading underneath the mountain. The cleric wished her good luck and she was on her way.

Suzanne had made sure to take the Echoing Flute, the Final Key, the staff from the Soo and the Meteorite Armband with her. The flute and key would help her find the orb while the staff and armband would help her fight. She played the flute as she walked and had only gone about a mile before the flute began making echoes. Satisfied that she had a pretty good clue as to where the orb was she put the flute away.

Suzanne made her way to the middle of the desert where she was told the Navel of the Earth was. Sure enough she came upon a giant hole in the desert. There was an old, moldy, wooden staircase leading downwards into the cave. Suzanne carefully went down the stairs.

Suzanne found herself in a small room. She proceeded into a large hallway. There were skulls mounted on sticks lining across the hallway. Suzanne guessed that they were placed there to scare off some of the test-takers. She did not let herself be fazed by such a tactic. She came across a door at the end of the hallway, took out the Final Key, and opened it.

She was almost immediately greeted by three large green crabs. She was familiar with these crabs from around the Isis region. She may have wondered what these crabs were doing so far from their native land but now was not the time to wonder. Knowing the creatures to have hard, armor-like shells and a fondness for improving their defenses with magic she pulled out the staff from the Soo.

She spoke the command word and directed the ensuing stream of flame at the three crabs. Luckily they were all positioned in a neat line and the fire hit all of them. One died immediately while the other two took significant wounds. Realizing their danger the crabs quickly advance upon Suzanne rather than use magic.

Suzanne did not have time to put the staff away and so focused on blocking their attacks with her shield. She blocked one claw strike but got clubbed in the side by the other. Her armor absorbed the bulk of the shock and so the attack did little more than push her to the side. She quickly dropped the magic staff behind her, drew her sword, and rushed one of her enemies. The creature was far slower than Suzanne and found itself unable to do anything to prevent her blade from going through its head. The other crab desperately swung at Suzanne with both its claws but Suzanne jumped clean over the attack and came down with a vicious swing to its head, almost splitting it in two.

Suzanne looked around to make sure there were no more monsters nearby and continued on. She was now in an intersection with hallways going to the left, right, and directly across from the door she had just opened. She decided to take the left path. The hallway went for a long ways and eventually came to another intersection. But Suzanne could see that she did not have time to decide on a path to take at the moment; there were five giant purple mushrooms with eyes and limbs in the intersection.

Luckily Suzanne had the element of surprise on her side. She used the magic staff to toast her foes. Two enemies seemed to resist the attack outright while one was hit by it and lived. Taking advantage of the increased speed given to her by the Meteorite Armband Suzanne took out her sword and stabbed clean through one of the non-wounded mushrooms.

The remaining two mushrooms seemed to run away in fright at first but then stopped their running and pointed at Suzanne, sending two missiles of ice at her. With the aid of her magic armor the two spells did little damage to her. She chased down the other unharmed mushroom and ended it with a swift strike to its forehead. The last mushroom tried a desperation ramming attack with its forehead. Fortunately for Suzanne this mushroom did not have any sleeping powder on it like the ones the group had fought in the cave where they found the Dream Ruby. Suzanne barely felt the creature's blow and sliced it in half in return.

Suzanne now examined the new intersection she found herself in. Like the last one this one also split off three ways: left, right, and forward.

"Great," Suzanne thought to herself. "I suppose part of the challenge is not to lose heart when there are so many different directions to go. I hope some of these passages link back to each other."

Suzanne took the left path again. She came across a hallway a lot like the one right after the entrance. It was about the same size and shape and also had skulls mounted on sticks. She proceeded through the hallway into a small room. There was an old, moldy, wooden staircase in front of her. She looked up to where the staircase led and was startled to see it led outside. The cleric had led her to believe that there was only one entrance and exit to this cave. Deciding to be thorough in her search she decided to see how far she ended up from the first entrance she took.

* * *

A few hours of wandering around lost and in confusion, along with a few easy fights along the way, Suzanne had come to a few conclusions about the cave. For one, she had left from the same entrance she had first entered from. Not believing that her sense of direction could be that off, she checked the surrounding area of desert for other entrances. But there was only once she could find.

She decided to head back into the cave to see where she had erred in her navigational skills. She retraced her steps and made sure to write down as accurate a map as she could as she went. She wound up exiting the cave again. According to her map there was no way she could have exited. She tried starting at the entrance and taking the right path, the path she seemed to return from. Indeed, she somehow ended up on the left path at the entrance again.

Suzanne realized that, somehow, these paths connected to each other without making any turns at all! She could probably wander forward in a straight line, taking no turns, and never reach a dead end. She decided to test this theory out by not stopping at the entrance but keeping her path straight. Sure enough, she came back to the entrance a second time. Annoyingly enough, there was always a fresh batch of monsters to challenge her every time she came back to the intersection.

"Such a cunning trick," Suzanne thought. "How many became hopelessly lost due to this? How many thought they were wandering in a labyrinth with an infinite number of enemies?"

She finally proceeded forward through the only path she had not taken yet. She came across a large, grand room. In the center of the room was what looked like a place of ritual. Pillars surrounded the middle ceremoniously. However, there was no altar or decoration in the area to confirm that suspicion. There were also two passages to the left, two to the right, and one on the other end of the room.

Suzanne decided to try the passage to her left. After a small hallway she came into a small room with a treasure chest in its center. Suzanne realized that this could easily be a trap; the chest was probably one of those fake chest monsters such as the one the group encountered in the Pyramid. Suzanne wished she knew the spell to check but knew she had little choice but to spring the trap. She had gained tremendous skill and better equipment since then. Though she did not want to fight one of those things by her own, especially considering how she ended up last time, she cautiously went forward to open the chest.

Her fears were confirmed when the chest sprang forward and bit down with great force. Had Suzanne's reflexes been a hair slower she would have lost a hand again. The chest monster wasted little time as Suzanne could hear muffled whisperings coming from it. She realized that it was probably casting a spell. With her sword already drawn she jumped forward into melee with the thing. The creature suddenly ceased its spell and tried to chomp down on Suzanne's arm but Suzanne proved the quicker. She landed an expert blow on the creature hiding in the chest.

Suddenly Suzanne was hit by a large fireball which exploded upon impact. The force made her stagger backwards though she did not suffer incredible pain from the blast. Suzanne then realized that this was another multi-tasking beast; the creature had not stopped whispering even as it tried to bite her! This chest monster was even more dangerous than the one from the Pyramid.

Having no choice but to see the fight through, Suzanne recovered from the attack and charged the creature again. This time the monster managed to bite her shield arm, dealing a vicious gash as its teeth pierced through her armor as though she were wearing only normal clothes. But she managed another return strike to the monster in the chest, though it was not as direct as her first strike. At the same time, the creature finished another spell. A sparkle of green light traveled the short distance from Suzanne to the beast. It had drained some of her magic.

Suzanne patiently waited for it to strike again, so the chest would open and expose the monster inside. She was surprised when its next spell activated first. A cloud of black and purple smoke in the shape of a skull engulfed Suzanne. The next moment seemed to last an eternity. Time seemed to stop. Within the smoke Suzanne suddenly felt an incredible tug. But it was not a physical tug, like someone trying to pull her somewhere. It was as if the smoke was tugging at her very soul, trying to separate it from her body.

Suzanne tried to fight the smoke off. She tried to step out of it or strike the creature. She tried to simply move. But the pain was piercing. She could not believe it was possible to feel such pain. She wanted desperately for the pain to end. Anything would be preferable to such excruciating agony. Even death would be preferable…

No! Suzanne quickly snapped herself away from such thoughts. As she did so the pain seemed to subside, the cloud disappeared, and time went back to its normal flow. Distracted by the spell Suzanne failed to dodge another bite from the beast, this one tearing into her midsection. Suzanne realized that she was losing a lot of blood from her wounds at this point and needed to heal herself soon. She launched a desperate strike at the monster, trying to hit it before the chest closed. She felt relief as her sword connected with flesh and the chest fell to the ground, unmoving. She tested it quick to make sure it was not a trick but sure enough, the creature was dead.

Suzanne took a moment to heal her injuries. Since she was not an expert in the healing arts it took her several spells to do so. Deciding that this encounter had been too close, she decided also to teleport out of the dungeon before another chest monster rendered her unable to. This test would have to be a failure.

* * *

"It was probably an incredibly powerful spell, one that tries to inflict death without inflicting wounds. It is said to be capable of ending a powerful warrior's life in mere moments," explained Thomas after Suzanne told her story of her attempt at the Navel of the Earth. "You're very lucky to be alive."

"Then that monster must have been a mimic," said Alice, with notable awe in her voice. "They're the most powerful of chest monsters. It is said they could kill half a dozen warriors with one spell. Besides that they had other spells for disabling or harming others, could bite and cast magic at the same time, and that bite is no joke either. It's incredible that you managed to defeat one in single combat."

"Those monsters must be really rare right?" asked Ron. "There are probably plenty of chests in that place and one of them must have the orb. The others can't all be mimics right?"

Alice did not look so sure, however.

"Hopefully I won't have to check all of them," suggested Suzanne. "There was what looked like a shrine of sorts near the entrance. I'm hoping that the chest containing the orb will be similarly decorated. Or even better, maybe there are no more chests. Or maybe all the chests are near the entrance. Other than the mimic, I didn't face great opposition. The cave was filled with monsters we've seen before. I'm sure any one of us could hold their own in the portion I explored."

"It's too dangerous. The cave could be filled with those things," said Thomas.

"We don't have a choice," replied Suzanne. "I've proven I can handle one in combat. I'll be even better prepared next time. We need to find that orb."

"I'm also a little concerned over the monsters you fought there," said Alice. "A lot of those beasts should not have appeared there. And the fact that there were always more waiting in the same spot bothers me as well."

"I fear some foul magic keeps the cave stocked with monsters," noted Thomas. "There's no way to know for sure, but it would help explain how you encountered the beasts in the same spot every time you went past."

"I suppose it helps ensure that there's always something to fight," said Ron. "It's not much of a test otherwise."

* * *

Suzanne rested the rest of the night. The next day she went to the blacksmith to have her armor repaired from where the mimic had bit right through it. Then she went back through the tunnel, into the desert, and back to the Navel of the Earth. This time Suzanne would not open any chest unless it was ceremoniously presented. Even then, Suzanne would be sure to be ready.

Suzanne returned to the large ceremonial room that split off into multiple paths. She checked the other three side passages and found they all lead to rooms similar to the one in which she fought the mimic, complete with their own treasure chests. Suzanne wisely opted not to disturb the chests. If she did not find the orb in a different spot then Alice could easily take the test herself and check these chests.

She continued into the passage on the back side of the ceremonial room. She found a larger room adorned with a singled skull on a stick. There was another, longer, thinner passageway on the left side of the room. In the middle of the passageway was a group of large green goat creatures. But like the mushrooms and crabs from the last time through, Suzanne dealt with the monsters easily. After dealing with them Suzanne reached the end of the passageway where a descending staircase awaited.

The next room was absolutely humongous. It had to be an entire mile or more between the north and south walls. The west and east walls were probably three quarters of a mile apart or so. As Suzanne would soon find, the room was filled with monsters. As the room was completely barren, Suzanne realized that she had to move quickly as it would not take long before she was set upon by a hoard of beasts. From what she could see, the monsters were of the same caliber as those she had been fighting. But even those monsters were dangerous in great numbers.

Looking off in the distance Suzanne could see two ascending staircases. She quickly realized that descending staircases would be difficult to see at a distance, but she did not have time to search around at a leisurely pace. She went forward at a quick jog to the staircase she could see on the northwest side of the huge room. Unfortunately, the monsters saw her. The noise that was stirred up soon alerted every monster in the room to her presence.

Suzanne quickly got the magic staff out. She decided it would be of more use than her sword since she could put the staff to use at a range. On her right approached a group of large purple ape creatures. In front of her was a group of mummies. She realized that she would need to switch between staff and sword in short succession. When she had done so earlier she always dropped her staff temporarily. But to do so now was to leave the staff behind. So she strapped her shield back onto her back and pulled out both staff and sword.

Suzanne lamented that she could not use both at once. Though the staff required only a command word to activate she had to guide the stream of fire with it for its duration. She quickly conjured up a fire stream at the mummies, intending to break through their line. None of the mummies were destroyed, but they were all injured. She was a decent distance away when she used the staff and was now closing in on them. Dodging the scratching claws of the mummies as best she could, she dispatched one on her left and began to sprint to avoid the other two. She suffered only minor scratches.

The mummies proved surprisingly fast in their pursuit and covered in her thick armor Suzanne could not hope to outrun them for long. Suzanne decided to make a quick stand against them. She used the staff to give them another dose of fire. The mummies all fell this time around.

When she turned around, Suzanne realized that she had another fight on her hands. The ape monsters had propelled themselves across the room quickly with their powerful, long limbs. Before she could send out another burst of flame an ape came up and swiped at her with its huge arm. With no shield to cushion the blow the best Suzanne could do was put her arms up to keep her head safe. She fell backwards, dropping the staff as she did so. Luckily, this put her out of the other apes' swipes.

Luckily, Suzanne did not depend on the staff to produce a magical assault. She reproduced the flame stream with her own magic spell. One of the apes fell dead and the others were wounded. She quickly rolled under the swipe of one of the apes but caught a blow on the shoulder from the other. She was almost directly underneath the beast that hit her and brought her sword up into its vitals. Before the remaining one could strike again Suzanne saw it off in a similar manner.

But there was no time to relax yet. She could see flying enemies coming from the east and a group of mushroom monsters waddling to the north to cut her path to the staircase off. Suzanne went to pick up the staff and broke into a run for the staircase again, knowing the flyers would overtake her soon enough. She kept an eye on her pursuers, ready to turn around with fire when she had to.

When she turned around to fry the flyers, three of them fell immediately. But the last one seemed to take no harm. As she looked at it she realized that she had never the seen the likes of it before. It looked like a baby demon wielding a pitchfork. The creature stabbed at her with its fork but Suzanne disarmed it and slashed at it. It proved to be surprisingly agile as it avoided the worst of the blow.

The creature fell back and tried to cast a spell. Suzanne realized she could not make it in time to disrupt the spell. She was surprised when sparks fizzled out of the creature's hands but no spell came out. Suzanne had seen and experienced this before: the creature was out of magic power. She found it odd considering that the creature had not cast a spell yet but decided not to question her luck. She ran the creature through with her sword and pressed on.

The mushrooms were in front of the staircase now but a quick look around the room told Suzanne that if she was fast enough she could get past the mushrooms and make it to the staircase. She ran as fast as she could to get within range of the mushrooms and blasted them. Of the five that blocked her path, only two died. One other was wounded but the last two shook it off.

The mushrooms stood in their place, realizing their best weapon was magic, and sent several missiles of ice into Suzanne. Suzanne ignored the pain and blasted them again. This magical battle lasted for one more round before the mushrooms fell. Suzanne saw she had little time to make the staircase. She made a break for it.

Suzanne made it to the staircase just before her pursuers made it to her. She climbed up it and made a quick check for enemies on the next floor. Seeing none, she turned around ready to stand her ground. The remaining monsters on the floor had pursued her to the staircase, but now she had the tactical advantage. Any melee monsters had to go single-file up the staircase to get to her. And any ice missiles or other magic spells her way were blocked by the floor between her level and the monsters'. To hit Suzanne with a spell would mean to bring itself within the wrath of her power.

The next few minutes were a blur of steel and flame. Suzanne furiously used both her sword and the magic staff to fight off a seemingly unending tide of monsters. It seemed for every one she vanquished another two took its place. None of her opponents on their own were all that dangerous but they were dangerous enough to give her a scratch here or there. Besides that, Suzanne was getting very tired. She began to wonder if she should try to disengage and warp out.

Suzanne shook the thoughts from her head and stubbornly defended her position. If she left now chances are that all the foes she had defeated would probably be back when she returned. She would have to get through this at some point to proceed. She went at her enemies with increased fury.

After another minute, the sea of monsters was drying up. Suzanne realized that many of the creatures were retreating. They apparently realized they had little chance against her, even in such numbers. Suzanne dispatched the last few that fought against her and went back down the stairs to observe. Indeed, the monsters were fleeing for their lives.

Suzanne took a few moments to rest and heal herself. She had not suffered major injuries but she knew if she had to go through that again she might be in trouble. After recovering she went about exploring the floor. Deciding she would not have to fight such a group again she took her shield out. She could still see the staircase to the southeast but decided to check out the northeast corner of the huge room first. She was rewarded in her search when she found a descending staircase.

Deciding that this staircase was as good as the other she descended. She found herself in a small room with a small passageway in front of her. She went through the passage and came into a large hallway, with paths to the left and to the right. She decided to take the left path. The hallway quickly turned to her right and continued on for a ways. Suzanne walked cautiously, on the lookout for monsters and traps. The silence on this floor was eerie compared to the noisiness of the beasts on the previous floor. Adding to her unease were the faces that decorated the walls. The faces were shaped like human faces but portrayed looks of inhuman malice.

Suzanne soon came to a dead end and was forced to turn back. She came back to where she had started and took the path that had been on her right. This portion of the hallway was almost identical to the other, though the faces on the wall were different. These faces portrayed looks of terrible fear and agony. A chilling thought struck Suzanne: maybe these were the faces of those who had failed and died here, their last moments immortalized on these walls.

Suzanne suddenly thought she heard a whisper. She could not make out the words but she was almost positive she heard someone. But the hallway had no cover or places to hide in it. If there was anyone here talking they would have to be invisible. Suzanne continued down the hallway slowly, on the ready for anything to suddenly jump out of nowhere.

As she continued down the hallway, she heard the whispering voice again. This time she could definitely make out what it said, "Turn back!" She made a quick check to make sure that there was still nothing else in the hallway.

"Another trick to confuse and scare a test-taker," concluded Suzanne.

But as she continued the voices got louder and louder. Suzanne realized that a different voice spoke each time, but all had the same message, "Turn back!" As she reached the hallway's midway point the voices had risen to speaking level. A few steps later and the voices were shouting at her. The voices were not those of a menacing beast but of people. These people did not want Suzanne to share their fate.

Suddenly, Suzanne heard an agonizing scream. She jumped at the sound and looked around. Still nothing else inhabited the hallway. Another scream sounded. The voices were no longer speaking warnings to Suzanne but letting her listen to their last, painful moments. Suzanne had to keep herself from bringing her hands to her ears to shut out the terrible noise. She needed her hands free to fight if need be. But the screams continued, each in more agony than the last.

It seemed to have been an eternity before reached a turn in the hallway. The hallway took a turn to the left. Suzanne cautiously looked around the corner, saw nothing, and went forward. The screams instantly stopped. The sudden change in noise caused Suzanne's ears to ring, and the ensuing silence to seem just as scary as the screams. Suzanne had to reassure herself with each step she took.

The hallway took another turn to the left. Suzanne could see this leg took a turn to the right. According to her sense of direction, this would have to be a dead end. But as she reached the middle of the leg she was currently on there was a great flash of light. Suzanne, temporarily blinded, desperately listened for any sound of an ambush. But all she could hear was the sound of several voices shouting in unison, "Join us!"

When the light cleared Suzanne saw she was suddenly surrounded by three armored men dressed in dull silver armor armed with swords and shields. There was one behind her and two in front of her. She quickly took out the magic staff and blasted the two in front of her. She was met with disappointment as neither showed any sign of pain or injury; the flames did not seem to touch them at all.

Suzanne quickly found herself on the defensive, flanked by the three swordsmen. She tried to charge the foe behind her with her shield out, hoping to bowl him over, but he sidestepped and managed to hit her with his sword. The other two enemies were quick to follow, giving similar cuts to Suzanne. She quickly dropped the magic staff and drew her own sword.

Though Suzanne was skilled, her enemies were almost as skilled and they had a three to one advantage. She tried to strike the enemy behind her but the swordsman easily shoved her blade to the side. Suzanne dodged his return strike and managed to block one of his friends' attacks as well but the other foe managed another hit. Suzanne knew if it were not for her great armor she would be in bad shape already.

It was time to get serious. Suzanne faked a shield bash to the foe behind her. When the swordsman reacted as she thought he would she came around and caught him in the side with her blade. The enemy noticeably staggered in response to the blow, showing that Suzanne had indeed hurt him, though no blood poured out.

Suzanne used the momentum from her strike to spin around, executing an impressive move in which she blocked the other two blades coming at her. The wounded one came up behind her to try to behead her, thinking her vulnerable. Suzanne just barely managed to duck her head in time.

Suzanne knew she had to eliminate that enemy quickly as she could not keep up such impossible dodges forever. She launched a shield bash at her opponent's legs. Having been fooled once, the man was slow to realize this attack was not a fake and took the blow in full force. As the man's legs gave out Suzanne easily stabbed her blade into the man's head. Still no blood poured forth but the man fell over.

Suzanne did not have time to check if the man was truly defeated, she had two more to worry about. She sidestepped one attack only to walk into another. Unfortunately, the man had turned his blade sideways, using it like a blunt object, and hit Suzanne square in the head. She staggered backwards, dazed from the blow.

Fortunately, she managed to shake the stars quicker than her opponents thought. She acted like she was still in a daze, causing one of them to charge her, thinking her almost done. The man soon learned his error as Suzanne seemingly came out of her stupor just in time to launch a vicious strike. Suzanne, as though suddenly possessed with incredible strength, had managed to cut through her foe's armored neck, severing his head. Like the last man, there was no blood to indicate a kill but Suzanne was sure he was down for the count.

Unfortunately, she left herself open to her last opponent. But instead of trying to slice her, the last swordsman tried a daring move. He ran forward and tackled Suzanne, sending their armored bodies to the ground. Caught by surprise and with the momentum of her attack still carrying her, Suzanne was slow to recover and the man quickly had her pinned. She was unable to move her arms or legs to try and free herself and she had dropped her sword.

The man tried to reposition his pin, trying to get his blade to Suzanne's neck. Suzanne tried her best but the man had her stopped. She realized she had only one chance left, and it was a long shot. She had been learning a spell recently, one from the old days of the Great Wars. The spell was unlike one either Thomas or Alice had mastered. But unfortunately, Suzanne had not yet mastered it either. It was highly dangerous to cast a spell one had not yet mastered. And as she had seen at the beginning of the fight, these foes had magic resistance. Lastly, with her foe on top of her she would likely blast herself as well.

But with her sword knocked away and the swordsman bringing his blade closer and closer to her neck, Suzanne began chanting the words with grim determination. She no longer doubted whether or not she would get the spell right or whether she would harm herself. A wave of courage poured through her. She would cast the spell and end this fight.

A blast of lightning, seemingly from out of the ceiling of the cave, came down on the two combatants. Caught in the blast, Suzanne was temporarily blinded. She could feel the pain of the lightning bolt hit her, but she would not give in. She suddenly realized that she was no longer pinned, her opponent had grown limp. She pushed him off of her and quickly retrieved her sword. She checked her three opponents, all still lying on the ground. None of them moved even when prodded.

Suzanne took a moment to rest and heal herself. She could not take many more fights now. She still had the magic to teleport herself out but another tough fight and she probably would not any longer. She wondered if she even had enough strength to last through another fight. Nevertheless, she stepped forward to the end of the hallway.

The hallway curved into a ceremonial chamber. Two large statues of great giants flanked an alter, upon which sat two treasure chests. Suddenly, dread came over Suzanne. She did not know how, but she suddenly knew without a doubt that if she left to rest that she would have to fight all those enemies over again. And she did not know if one or both chests were a mimic. Even if the blue orb did rest inside one of the chests, it was pure luck to guess which had the orb and which was a mimic.

Suzanne slumped to the ground, feeling defeated. She did not think she could handle a mimic in her present state. Even if she won, she probably would not have the magic left to teleport out. The two treasure chests sat in front of her, almost taunting her. Which one was the orb? Which was a mimic? Are both these chests mimics?

Suzanne got back to her feet. She could not come all this way and leave empty handed, knowing that either she or one of her companions would have to go through all she had gone through. She took a coin out of her pocket, flipped it, and decided based on the flip which chest to open. She walked up to her chosen chest, sword drawn, and carefully started to open it.

She sighed in tremendous relief when the chest opened all the way without snapping at her hand. And sitting peacefully inside the chest was the blue orb.

* * *

Author's Note: I realized last time I updated that no longer accepts my little asterisk line breaks. So at some point I'm going to go through and put them in my previous chapters. This is probably a good thing as I can check over these chapters and correct some of my glaring mistakes.


	20. Chapter 19: Pirates

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 19: Pirates

After Suzanne passed the Test of Courage, they talked to the seers in the shrine again. While Suzanne was taking the test the seers had received a vision of the red orb.

"I saw a battle on the seas far to the northwest," one of the sages had explained. "A ship was attacked by pirates. The red orb was on one of the two ships. I cannot tell you exactly what happened to it."

The group believed that the pirates likely made off with the orb. Alice took out a map and tried to pinpoint the most likely area where the battle could have occurred.

"The Archfiend's territory is the closest to Lancel from the northwest," began Alice. "It's possible the Archfiend has pirates in its employ, just like those cannibals in the area. But then they'd still need someone to attack. Further northwest is the Batay Sea, which is shared by the Empire, Portoga, and Isis. Of course, there is the vast ocean to consider as well."

"We should check around the major ports in that area then," suggested Suzanne. "See what we can find out about recent pirate activity. With any luck, we'll come across survivors from the pirate attack."

"It's possible they may even have the orb," said Ron. "The seers couldn't tell us who won the fight."

The four started with Portoga Castle Town, as Portoga had a rich tradition at sea and thus the highest probability to have pirate troubles. As it turned out, they struck gold with their first try. The Batay Sea had recently been set upon by a vicious group of pirates. These pirates attacked vessels belonging to rich merchant ships and almost always managed to get away with a large supply of goods and prisoners. Somehow, the owners of the ships or the companies the ships served were always on board during the attacks and were usually among the prisoners taken. Nobody knew how the pirates knew to attack when they did, though accusations of inside jobs abounded. However, since ships from both Portoga and the Romalian Empire were attacked, this would require some sort of international coalition, the chances of which were small.

The four found that the Portogan authorities were not forthcoming with what they knew of the pirates so they teleported to the Empire to see what information they could find there. Emperor Vilisik was more than happy to tell them all he knew of the group.

"They have become quite popular among some of the common people," the emperor said. "You see, they are not a bloodthirsty lot. So far, we have no confirmed deaths though we obviously do not know the fates of their prisoners. But all these prisoners were wealthy business owners not loved by the people. In fact, a lot of the Romalian ships that have been attacked belonged to companies that are currently under investigation for corrupt practices."

"You sound fond of them yourself," pointed out Suzanne.

"I will be perfectly honest, I am in no great hurry to bring them in," admitted Vilisik. "Keep this under your hats, but I believe their victims so far are scum. They always let the innocent deckhands and workers escape and it sounds like they go out of their way to spill as little blood as possible. The only vessels to be attacked but not taken by them are those that took advantage of this."

"Forgive me, your Majesty, but is it not wrong for a ruler to play favorites with criminals?" asked Thomas. This earned him a shushing and a ribbing from both Ron and Alice. The emperor merely laughed at his statement.

"No need to be so rude to Sir Thomas, he is quite right," said Vilisik. "If these people fall into my hands they will be tried and punished as anyone else would. But I have other reasons for not sending more of my forces to capture them, the least of not which is the Archfiend who I am sure continues to gain power to the south. I have some ships working with Isis to help prepare them as well. They ferry supplies and arms over but I fear their greatest use will be in helping the people escape after the Archfiend makes his move."

"I see. Forgive me for my outburst," apologized Thomas.

"We saw a bit of southern Tarasia in our travels," began Suzanne solemnly. "It was as you said. The only other humans we saw there were cannibals who were working with the Archfiend."

"That is why it is important you gather as much support to the cause as you can," answered the emperor. "Back to our original topic, why do you want to know about the pirates?"

"We believe they have an item important to our task. Either that or they recently attacked a vessel that has the item," explained Suzanne.

"Well finding the pirates will be difficult. I wish I could help you there but I have no idea where the pirates are," said Vilisik.

"There's the downside to not having focused on them," pointed out Ron.

"I do have one more thing to add," began Vilisik again. "Many of the attacked companies are investigating their own employees to check for inside jobs. Some see this as rubbish as the pirates are international. Personally, I think there may be some merit to these thoughts. Some attacks have come when the owners were secretive about their whereabouts. Without some information, the pirates are just way too lucky for me to believe it truly is luck."

"Thank you, your Majesty," replied Suzanne. "You've been a great help."

* * *

After their meeting with the Emperor, the four focused their efforts on investigating the attacked companies and their employees, being as discrete as they could. They had an advantage over the official authorities in that the four were not the official authorities and thus people were much less secretive around them.

Alice began the investigation by compiling lists and information on all their potential leads. She was put in charge of organizing all the information they came up with and analyzing it to the best of her abilities. Suzanne and Ron frequented social hangouts favored by the employees and got to know them. They asked questions as discretely as they could.

However, the largest break started with Thomas. Not much for socializing, Thomas decided to volunteer at the local healing houses and to help Alice out in his spare time. After just over a week of investigation, another ship was attacked in the Batay Sea. Shortly afterwards, a man with conspicuous wounds appeared in the healing house. The workers and volunteers at the healing house were not to ask too many questions as to the nature of their patients' wounds as doing so could discourage them from seeking treatment, and so Thomas was unable to interview the man at the time. However, the man was apparently a regular at the healing house and so the other clerics knew a few things about him. Thomas found out what he could and told the other three.

"His name is John Morrison. He's a blade for hire and so the other clerics don't think much of it when he comes in wounded. He works for a company called the Bear's Arms," explained Thomas.

"Great name," chuckled Ron. "I assume they have the proper paperwork for a company that bears arms?"

"Too bad you don't have the paperwork to tell bad puns," groaned Alice. "They are registered, yes. The emperor likes to keep a good amount of information on mercenary companies in his land."

"What's their connection to the pirates?" asked Suzanne. "Were they attacked?"

"No," answered Alice. "They have no connection to the pirates as far as I know. They don't even operate on the seas or own any ships."

"But a sellsword could easily be involved somehow. He could have been hired by the pirates or the victims," suggested Ron.

"We'll check him out tomorrow," declared Suzanne.

* * *

Suzanne and Ron went to talk with the man and his superiors. They found he had an alibi for his whereabouts during the incident. He had been working on a job on the far northern end of the empire. However, the four were not content with this explanation. Ron and Alice decided to stay at the capital to continue talking with Morrison and his associates while Suzanne and Thomas teleported as far north as they could and went to work confirming his alibi.

Suzanne and Thomas found Morrison had been hired to help clear out some monsters in the area. Morrison had been hired several times in the area as he had proven an efficient and reliable swordsman. The two compiled a list of dates for when he had been hired. They also made sure to get as many details as they could on Morrison's jobs. The two returned to the capital to see how Ron and Alice had fared.

"Well, these dates coincide with some of the attacks but not all of them. Some of these dates are not on the day of one of the attacks and we've found Bear's Arms makes liberal use of wings of wyvern for fast travel. Those jobs could not have been to cover up his involvement in pirate attacks," explained Alice.

"That's what Thomas and I thought but we also had another theory," replied Suzanne. "He could be involved in the attacks, but the pirates have been very good at covering their tracks. If Morrison was only hired out when there was a pirate attack, it'd look too suspicious. It's a long shot but we think that not only is Morrison involved but the people hiring him out as well."

"Morrison was always hired out to deal with monster threats," Thomas spoke up. "We were hoping you could use your knowledge of beasts to bring some insight to how likely it was that the monsters would move as they did during those times."

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Alice. "I'll have to take a look at what you've found right away."

"What did you guys find out?" asked Suzanne.

"Well I didn't have much more luck talking with Morrison," replied Ron. As he continued, a grin came across his face. "Alice, on the other hand, didn't seem to have much trouble getting him to talk."

"Oh really?" asked Suzanne, as a smile came onto her face as well.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Alice defensively, though she was betrayed by a blush.

"Oh I think you know what we mean," Ron continued. "Tell us, Alice, or should I say Beth, what is your secret? What interrogative techniques have you learned to get this guy to talk?"

"Nothing!" yelled Alice indignantly. "I just act nice and pleasant towards him! I don't act all big and macho and try to scare the guy! I have the brains to know that won't work!"

Ron might have taken offense to Alice's comments if he was not so busy laughing. Even Thomas managed a laugh at the turn the conversation had taken.

"Okay, okay, okay," cut in Suzanne, trying to settle the group back down. "Let's get back on topic for a moment. What have you found out Alice?"

"Thanks Susie," said Alice, shooting Ron another glare. "Well I haven't found out much yet but I may be on to something. He's very secretive when it comes to his own work, he's told me very little about it. But he can go on and on about his friends and coworkers. He always stops himself and changes the topic before saying too much but the last time we talked he hinted that his chief is into a little more than mercenary work. If he really is involved than I don't think he's the only one."

"That would fit pretty well," said Suzanne thoughtfully. "If Morrison is involved and there's this big cover up, it'd be pretty hard for him to do all this by himself without his superiors finding out. And most mercenary groups would be quick to throw out or even turn in one of their own involved in piracy. If the law, or their customers, found out they were harboring a pirate that would destroy the company. But if the company is in with the pirates…"

"Alright Alice, looks like you have a lot of work to do," began Ron, grinning again. "You have to look at all the info that Susie and Tom brought back and then after that you have to get all dolled up and flirt with Morrison until he spills the beans."

As Alice raised her hand to slap Ron, Suzanne stopped her, "Wait Alice! That's not a bad idea. By the sounds of it, Morrison wants to impress you. Keep pressing him on his work. Also, let him know that you really like gems and jewelry and all manner of sparkly things."

"That's right," agreed Thomas. "If the pirates really do have the red orb and if Morrison knows this, you might be able to get him to show it to you."

"Hey hey hey!" replied Alice. "So you want me to analyze all your information and get all pretty and get Morrison to spill what he knows? What are you three going to do?"

"That's a good point," conceded Suzanne. "Okay here's what we'll do. You give me your measurements and what kind of clothes and supplies you want and I'll get them. Thomas will help you go over the information we gathered."

"And what about this idiot?" asked Alice, indicating Ron.

"Ron, if Morrison didn't want to talk to you did any of his coworkers or superiors warm up to you?" asked Suzanne.

"I did get along great with a couple of his coworkers. I don't know if they're involved with the pirates though," answered Ron.

"Well find out what you can," said Suzanne. "And remember not to be too anxious with the questions. We don't want them tipping Morrison off."

* * *

The next few days saw a lot of progress. After looking at Suzanne and Thomas' information, Alice concluded that, while not impossible, it was highly unlikely that the beasts moved and acted the way Suzanne and Thomas were told they did. Meanwhile, Alice made quite a bit of progress with Morrison.

"He wants to take me for a ride on a ship!" she exclaimed nervously after returning from a date with Morrison.

"What?" asked Suzanne.

"Well I did what you told me and let him know I was really impressed with jewelry," explained Alice. "Well then he got all excited and told me he could show me a really impressive gem. But it's across the ocean and so I need to go with him on a ship!"

"That's excellent!" exclaimed Suzanne. "If our guesses are correct, he'll lead you straight to the red orb!"

"You don't expect me to go on a ship alone with him do you!" asked Alice, freaked out.

"Alice's right," said Ron. "Not just Morrison but the whole group of pirates may be on that ship. It's too dangerous to send her alone."

"That won't be necessary," said Suzanne. "We're going with her."

"That'd be great but I don't think he'd like that," replied Alice. "He kept going on and on about how it'd be nice for us to spend time together on a ship. He never said anything about guests."

"You know the old saying, 'What he doesn't know can't hurt him,'" said Suzanne, a grin on her face. "Here's what we do. Alice, you meet with Morrison again and tell him you'll go with him but you need to have your own cabin. If you're the only woman on the ship it shouldn't take much to convince him but otherwise just make it seem like you're used to luxury or something. That'd go great with the love of jewelry bit you've been feeding him."

"Meanwhile," Suzanne continued. "we'll go to Lancel and get a bunch of those invisibility herbs. Of course, they only last so long and we can't possibly stay invisible the whole voyage, so we'll have to take as many as we can and hide in Alice's cabin in the meantime."

"Alright! Finally some action!" exclaimed Ron. "Great plan Susie!"

"Don't get so excited," cautioned Thomas. "A large part of this plan involves us twiddling our thumbs on a ship for a few days."

"Are you sure about this Susie?" asked Alice. "I don't like having to spend so much time alone with someone who may be a pirate or having to string him along like this."

"Alice, I won't make you do this if you're really uncomfortable with it. But if you go through with this we'll be right there behind you. I'm not saying there isn't risk involved, but it's a risk we'll be sharing with you. And it's not like we'll be cheating the guy out of his stuff. We're not just going to steal the orb if he or his comrades have it. So what do you say?" asked Suzanne.

Alice gave a sigh and nodded her head, "Fine. I'm in."

* * *

Alice set up another meeting with Morrison and agreed to join him on his ship ride. The other three made the necessary preparations to make the voyage with. They made sure to take as many supplies as they could since they did not know how long the voyage would take.

"If our supplies run out then we can teleport out," Suzanne had said. "Of course, doing so will pretty much blow the whole deal and we'll have to look for another lead. So everyone's going to need to cut down on food for the trip."

The first part of the plan went off without a hitch. Alice convinced Morrison to give her her own room and the other three successfully snuck in. Alice would spend most of the day with Morrison while the other three stayed in her room. Alice made sure to be as loud as possible when unlocking her room to alert the others of her return so they could use the herbs quickly and remain undetected.

However the second part would be touch-and-go. The ship landed successfully in southern Sisten, the continent south of Malandoras. Alice and Morrison went with the crew inland while the other three followed at a distance. In order to conserve invisibility herbs the other three stayed visible and followed the other group at a great distance. Since they were following a much larger group, it was easy to keep sight of them while staying far away from them. The lack of trees on the way also improved visibility. Of course, this was a two-way street. The other three had to slap mud all over their armor and any other visible shiny objects and even then, staying out of sight was not easy. Fortunately, the other group did not seem hyper-vigilant.

"They must think that if they were followed, they would have seen them on the seas," theorized Ron. "It'd be impossible to tail someone unseen on the seas. And if they saw nobody following them then, how would anyone be following them now?"

"There's still monsters," said Thomas.

"But as a large group, monsters will think twice about disturbing them. And since they were able to make the voyage here, they're obviously capable. Even more so if these are the pirates. They may think they can let their guard down a little bit," concluded Suzanne.

"Speaking of monsters, it's a good thing we remembered to bring some holy water, and you have that spell of yours Susie," said Ron. "We're far enough back that monsters would try to attack us away from the other group and a fight would give away our location in a second."

The travel over land did not take long. A few tense hours of following the other group and the three were rewarded with the sight of a large building, into which the large group entered. The three stayed outside and waited.

"I don't like this," said Ron. "It'd be easy to take her by surprise and take her out before she could escape in there. And as far as they know, nobody would ever find out."

"I'm pretty sure nobody knows that more than Alice," answered Suzanne. "She'll be on the lookout. And everything we know about the pirates and Morrison says that they only harm those they believe are corrupt. We stick to the plan and wait for her to contact us."

The four had set up a system for Alice to make contact with them in the event that Morrison took her into a building. Suzanne had decided it was wise to let Morrison know a little bit of Alice's magic abilities. That way, Alice could use magic if she needed to, but they did not let Morrison know just how skilled she was or that she could use healing magic. Alice would leave the building in the middle of the night on the pretense that a little stroll would help her sleep. She would then lean on the building and conjure up a small light, a supposed habit of hers. The group decided this was not as suspicious enough to raise alarm with the pirates, like shooting a magic flare into the sky would. The pirates would see little harm in her using a small light, only as large as that of a torch or lantern that they would likely store in their building anyway. It would be easy to see Alice outlined in the light while the other three could stay in the dark.

The three waited as patiently as they could for night to fall and Alice to make contact with them. Thomas was on watch when he spotted a light moving around the building. He squinted to try and see the figure outlined in the light and confirmed it was Alice. He kept an eye on her as she rounded the building. Unfortunately, keeping an eye on Alice distracted Thomas from his surroundings. Next thing he knew, he received a tap on the shoulder.

Thomas whipped around and as he did so, a torch was lit in front of him. The sudden introduction of light so close to him blinded him at first but after his eyes adjusted he saw a group of strangers holding blades to the necks of the sleeping Suzanne and Ron.

"Put your hands in the air and prepare to have your magic sealed," commanded one of several men that had gotten the drop on the three. Realizing he had little choice, Thomas did as he was told. The ambushers made sure to seal not only Thomas' magic but the other two's as well, not knowing that Ron could not use magic. They wasted no time in binding the hands of the three. They also used magic to keep the other two asleep as they did so. It was very easy to keep people asleep who were already snoozing.

"I'm assuming that the young miss taking a walk outside our building is also with you, am I right?" asked the same man to Thomas. Thomas had to guess this man was the leader. Thomas refused to give an answer.

One of the other men laughed, "I told John that girl was out of his league!"

"Quiet!" commanded the leader. "They may still have others about. And by the looks of it, we won't get this one to talk. Let's head back and handle things there."

The ambushers gagged the three and gathered up all their weapons and tools. They then allowed Suzanne and Ron to awake so they could walk under their own power. Ron wanted to put up a fight at first, but a couple knocks on the head and looks from Suzanne and Thomas calmed him down. Their wordless communication told Ron to save his strength for another time.

They saw Alice come around the building again. From out of nowhere, a group of figures materialized and quickly subdued Alice. The sight of his friend being attacked caused Ron to struggle again, this time causing the attackers to knock him out and carry him along. Suzanne and Thomas saw Alice surrender and allow herself to be similarly bound and sealed and led inside.

The four were led into the building and brought together to a courtyard with a small pond. They were brought before a figure, standing near the pond. In the darkness it was impossible to see any details of the figure. After a moment, the three conscious members of the group could see the figure turn around.

"Impressive that you found us here," said the voice of the figure. "I had thought we had done well to cover our tracks. I suppose it is my fault for employing so many men. If ever there was one weakness that men had, it was beautiful women."

Some of the other men lit torches on the walls of the courtyard and the three could see the figure with clarity now. She was a woman in her late thirties and definitely strong, a conclusion supported by the large axe strapped to her back. She made a motion and the gags were removed from the mouths of the four.

"I want you to know that my men and I find no joy in unnecessary bloodshed or in bringing pain to others," continued the woman. "Tell me, who are you and why have you gone to such lengths to seek us out?"

"My name is Suzanne. These are my comrades Thomas, Alice, and Ron, whom your men have knocked out," introduced Suzanne.

"Stop right there," cut in the woman. "Those names are familiar to me. Stories have been told of you in both the empire and her ally, Isis. I heard you put down a rebellion in the empire, one which brought more harm than good to the people involved. I also heard that you are taking action against the Archfiend, rumored to make his domain in southern Tarasia. Are all these things true?"

"They are," confirmed Suzanne.

"I must say I'm flattered that my band and I have gained the attention of such an esteemed group," said the woman, who did seem honestly proud. "But what kind of attention, I wonder? Has the emperor seen fit to send you to bring me in?"

"No. We sought you out by our own accord," replied Suzanne.

"Why?" asked the pirate. "If you are who you say you are, you have grander concerns than a group of pirates."

Suzanne hesitated before answering. She knew it would be a bad idea to give the pirate all the information she wanted. If she told the pirate she wanted the red orb, she would likely do all she could to keep it out of the group's hands. Keeping this bit of info from the pirates was the only chance they had at ever getting the red orb.

"Is it because you want our help when the time comes to move against the Archfiend?" suggested the pirate, when Suzanne did not immediately answer her question.

The question provided a possible story for Suzanne. She could claim that was the group's aim all along. Really, it was not such a bad idea anyway. The pirates seemed to have good intentions, though Suzanne did not agree with their methods. Their aid would be appreciated and if they agreed to help Suzanne they might even willingly hand over the red orb.

But Suzanne met the eyes of the pirate, who by her speech was likely the leader of the pirates stationed here if not the entire organization. She had the feeling that lying to this person was not a good idea. Besides that, telling such a lie did not sit well with Suzanne. They had to stretch the truth to get here, especially in setting up Alice's alternate personality with Morrison. But that had been only to find the pirates. To tell this lie in the hopes of gaining the red orb would be a lot like stealing. Suzanne looked at Thomas and could see in his eyes that he had much the same idea.

"No. We had not even considered asking your help for our cause," said Suzanne.

The pirate chuckled, "I suppose the idea of joining with pirates is not an appealing one, especially for a group hoping to win over the leaders of nations, the makers of the law. So then, why are you here?"

Suzanne sighed. There was no story she could think of besides the truth. She knew she had no other choice, "We heard you recently acquired a large red gem, what we would call the red orb. We wanted to see if you had it and if so find some way to acquire it."

"I see. How did you plan on acquiring it?" asked the pirate.

"We didn't think that far ahead. We had to find you guys first and see if you had it in the first place. We would worry about getting it later," answered Suzanne.

"I suppose you would have taken it, as we took it ourselves," mused the pirate.

"We would have tried to talk with you long before that," said Suzanne.

"And if you refused, we would have only taken it with the intention of returning it to its rightful owner," chimed in Thomas. "Then we would have negotiated with them over the orb. We do not simply steal from others."

"Tom!" hissed Alice. "Remember who you're talking to!"

But the pirate laughed at Thomas' words. "Believe me, sir, we do not steal for our own gain. What do you know of our victims?"

"Your victims are wealthy business owners who, at least the emperor believes, are guilty or corrupt dealings such as exploitation of workers and customers," answered Suzanne. "Not only that, you go out of your way to spare the innocent, to the point it interferes with your attacks and has allowed you to be beaten back. Some believe you are virtuous folk, striking out against the corrupt rich. Even Emperor Vilisik had good things to say about you."

"He did, huh?" asked the pirate with interest. "I must say that puts my soul at ease. Believe it or not, I do not find it easy to do what I do. But I believe it is the right thing after all."

"Excuse me, captain," spoke up one of the other pirates, whom Thomas realized was the man in charge of their capture. "How do we know she's telling the truth? Maybe she's feeding you a story you want to hear. Just like the other lady did to John."

"A valid point," conceded the captain. "How do I know you're telling the truth now?"

"I'm sorry for what I put John through!" cried Alice. "I didn't want to do it! For what it's worth I really do think he's a nice guy!"

"It's alright Alice," said Suzanne. "I'm not going to say that we never lie. We had to lie and deceive to infiltrate that rebellion you mentioned before as well. But, like you, we always have a greater goal in mind. We don't like it and we wish we didn't have to do it but that's the way things have happened so far. But I continue to maintain that we only did this to find you. We would not try to cheat you out of the orb. Though, as Thomas said, we may have tried to gain it back to give to its rightful owner and deal with them."

"Ah yes, you keep stressing that point. Tell you what, why don't we bring the orb and its rightful owner here and settle this point once and for all?" declared the captain.

The three were quite surprised with this development. As some of the captain's men went to fetch the desired person and object, Ron started to come to. A quick look around the room and feeling his bounds reminded him of the current situation. He shot death glares at all the pirates. The other three made sure he would not get himself knocked out again and would let him get caught up once the other pirates returned.

The pirates returned with a heavy man who looked to be in her forties or fifties. The man was similarly bound as the other four but judging by the look on his face, not a man accustomed to danger. The pirates also brought with them a large gem that was identical to the other orbs the four had collected, save the color.

"Cenlin, I believe this orb is yours?" asked the captain.

The man seemed unsure as to how he should answer but after a quick prod from one of the pirates spoke up, "I-it's mine, yes."

"Oh goodness are you sure?" asked the captain. "Do you know who I am?"

"Your voice sounds familiar," answered Cenlin. "But I cannot place you in my memory."

"Do you remember Victor Danson?" asked the captain.

"Oh my goodness! You're—!" realized Cenlin.

"His widow, yes. Now are you sure this orb is yours?" asked the captain.

Cenlin suddenly went to his knees and began to weep. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I didn't want your husband to die!"

"I'm sure you didn't," responded the captain. "Why don't you tell everyone here what you did?"

Cenlin looked pleadingly at the captain, who responded with a glare. Up to this point, the captain had been very pleasant but this was the first time she showed a sign of anger.

"I-I-I-I had him robbed!" yelled Cenlin. "I wanted that gem of his! But he wouldn't sell it! So I hired some guys to rob him! And when he resisted—"

"I'm sorry Cenlin," the captain cut him off. "Did you just say that gem isn't yours?"

"No it's not mine!" cried Cenlin. "It's his! Or yours now!"

"Thank you Cenlin. Men, you may take him back to his room now. Put the gem back where it belongs as well," said the captain.

The pirates took the weeping Cenlin and the red orb out of the courtyard. After they had left, the captain continued talking with the four.

"So you see, Suzanne, if it is the rightful owner of that gem you are seeking to deal with, you have been dealing with her the whole time," said the captain. "I suppose I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Celia Danson, the late Victor's wife."

"I want you to know that vengeance is not all that motivates me or my men," continued Celia, "though it certainly is a factor. Wealthy men such as Mr. Cenlin take advantage of the little people all the time. They use their wealth and power to manipulate, to oppress, even to rob and murder those who are not so fortunate. I and my merry band here wish to pay them back for such service. As has been stressed several times now, we do not do this for money, and we do not harm innocents."

"I'll be honest with you, we do not agree with your methods," replied Suzanne. "But you're right, such people need to be shown the error of their ways."

"We could argue on and on about this until we grow old and I doubt either one of us would change our minds," said Celia. "But we both have more important ways to spend our time."

"I have a business deal for you," continued Celia. "I will give you that red gem we showed you before. In return, you will go about your business as though you never found us. You will not turn us in, you will not tell any other soul you know of our headquarters, and you will not even let on that you have met some of our members. Do we have an agreement?"

"That is a very generous offer," replied Suzanne. "It would be foolish for me to turn down such an offer."

"Very well. We shall make this official. Loosen their bonds," ordered Celia.

"Captain, are you sure of this?" asked the attack leader. "This is some risk we're taking, and letting them have such a priceless item to boot."

"It is risky," conceded Celia. "But I believe it is right. Our methods may differ but we are on the same team. They are trying to save humanity from monsters. We wish to save humanity from itself. We have little use for the gem while they have gone to great lengths to find it. I believe this will work out best for everyone."

The four were let loose from their bounds. Celia had each of them swear a separate vow to never divulge what they knew of the pirates. Ron and Thomas were reluctant to do so; Ron because he was still sore from how they had been treated by the pirates and Thomas because he still did not like the idea of dealing with pirates. But eventually they gave in and the deal was sealed.

Celia had some pirates lead the four to the area where the red orb was kept. The room was covered by a boulder that took two pirates to move. Once it was out of the way, the pirates gave the red orb to the group.

"Well that's four!" said Alice cheerfully. "Only two more to go!"

"Too bad we have no idea whatsoever where the other two are," said Thomas.

"We could go back to Lancel and ask the seers there for help," suggested Ron.

"Before we leave I want to have a chat with the pirates," said Suzanne. "They've likely seen a wide array of objects and heard many stories in their travels. They may know a thing or two."

"And I could definitely use a rest," said Alice wearily.

"We put a lot on your plate to get here, Alice," said Suzanne.

"Yeah, we owe you one Alice," thanked Ron.

"Think nothing of it guys," replied Alice cheerily. "But next time, it won't be my turn to go undercover."

* * *

Author's Note: Well summer vacation is here again. I hope to get some more progress on this story but after last summer I know better than the make promises.


	21. Chapter 20: Shrine of the Godbird

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 20: Shrine of the God-bird

As Suzanne had thought, the pirates had a great many stories to share with the group. The four learned a lot about how the group operated. As they had suspected, the pirate group did indeed have men inside all of the organizations they attacked. It also turned out the owner of Bear's Arms, the mercenary group that Morrison worked for, was a secret supporter of the pirates and Morrison was not the only mercenary who routinely worked for the pirates. Finally, they found out how the pirates got the drop on the group. It seems the four were not the only ones to hear of the invisibility herbs from Lancel.

"This is the largest criminal organization I've ever heard of!" Ron had exclaimed. "And I spent a brief time as the emperor!"

"Thank goodness their intentions are in the right place," Thomas had replied.

As Ron and Thomas continued to talk with the pirates, Suzanne was having a conversation with their leader.

"Have you ever heard of Luzami?" asked Celia.

"I know I haven't. Alice may know something about it," answered Suzanne.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't. I only know about it by chance," said Celia. "It's an area considered lost to the world, even more lost than Aliahan. Magic doesn't work anywhere on the island and the absence of ships means its residents are stranded. I have some recruits from the island: people who were glad to get off of it and see the rest of the world."

"Anyway," continued Celia. "It may be worth your while to check it out. There are a good number of wise people on the island. The island is a secret dumping ground for nations that want to get rid of unwanted scholars and intellectuals."

"What do you mean by unwanted scholars and intellectuals?" inquired Suzanne.

"The ruling class would rather some mysteries stay unsolved," answered Celia. "Those that solve them anyway and have the nerve to spread this knowledge to the public are often punished. And these people often have great magical ability or know those that do, making it difficult to keep them in a conventional prison. Besides that, putting them on some island in the middle of the ocean ensures they won't be able to spread what they know."

"I see. So the people on this island may know something that can help us on our quest," said Suzanne.

"Maybe. I'm not making any guarantees. It's hard to further your knowledge of the world when you're stuck on a small island. Most of their knowledge is dated. Of course, this means there is a greater knowledge of older legends and customs on the island," explained Celia.

"So the reason nobody knows about it is that these nations don't want people to go to the island and find the people there or their secrets?" guessed Suzanne. "Do you know which nations are involved?"

"All of them, to an extent," answered Celia. "If you ask around for the lineages of the people there, you can find people or descendants of people from all over the world. Some nations, such as the empire, no longer exile people there as far as we know. I would imagine Aliahan's lack of ships means they no longer do either. But most nations still do."

"Why exile them?" asked Suzanne. "It seems like the best way to prevent their ideas from spreading would be to execute them."

"Never doubt the power of a martyr," answered Celia. "Besides that, if you exile a person to an unknown location many of his or her followers will waste time trying to find that person. And those that don't will patiently wait until the return of that person or until their ideas no longer burn in their hearts, whichever comes first."

"Alright, this island has my interest. I'll talk with my comrades about it. Can you mark it on a map?" asked Suzanne.

Celia took out a map and marked the spot at which she had encountered the village. She and Suzanne would converse for a little while longer before Suzanne decided it was time to gather her companions to leave.

"One last thing, Suzanne," Celia stopped Suzanne before she left. "I know that a public endorsement from us at this time would do more harm than good to your cause. But when the time comes to make a move against that demon, leave a message with the Bears' Arms. My men and I will be ready to join the fight."

"That means a lot, Celia, thank you. Take care," said Suzanne.

* * *

After a long night of talking and storytelling, the four reassembled and told each other what they knew. In addition to learning the depth of the pirates' operation, Ron and Thomas had heard another interesting tidbit of information.

"Do you guys remember Zlistan, the wizard who lives in Greenlad?" asked Ron.

"He was the guy that wanted something called the Staff of Change," answered Suzanne.

"That's right. Well it turns out, the pirates were the ones to give Zlistan that thigh bone he was talking about," Ron began. "They found it along with some treasure on one of their non-militant excursions. The bone would magically move on its own to point in the direction the Phantom Ship was. Apparently, it even glowed brighter the closer they came to the ship."

"I believe the ship's occupants are cursed," theorized Thomas. "Not only will their spirits remain but any body parts will always seek to return to the ship. Of course, there's only so much a single bone can do on its own, so the thigh bone can only point people to the ship in the hopes they will take it there."

"Well if we ever need to find this ship, we can just ask the pirates where it is. I don't know if we'll find the item Zlistan wanted in exchange for the bone," said Suzanne

"That may be a bit of a problem," answered Ron. "After they got rid of the bone, the pirates tried to find the ship again, but to no avail. It was in the Batay Sea but no amount of searching led to the ship. It is a moving target in a large body of water after all. Being ghostly probably doesn't make it any easier to find either."

At long last, the group left the pirate hideout and teleported back to Romaly. They spent a day restocking supplies and resting. They also had to give time for Captain Marbeley and his crew to reassemble and prepare to ship out. When the four had started their investigation, they had let the captain know that it would likely be a short while until they needed to sail and so the captain and his crew had enjoyed a short vacation in the empire's capital.

"I wish we had those monster arenas in Portoga," Marbeley lamented. "My crew and I had a blast down there! Too bad I don't have much of a knack for picking the winner though."

Suzanne, Alice, and the captain looked at their maps and the marking and directions that Celia had given and decided to it would be quickest to teleport to Aliahan in order to reach Luzami. Since they had just finished with a tough assignment, had ended up in their hometown, and did not know if they would have the time during their next adventure, the group decided to celebrate Thomas' birthday over a week early. Although Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas (despite his continuing dislike for his own birthday) had a good time, Alice was uncharacteristically withdrawn throughout the day.

"What's up with her?" Ron had asked. "She's been quiet ever since we left the pirates."

"She had a talk with Morrison before we left," Suzanne answered. "Sounds like he gave her a good telling off."

"Ouch. You think she really liked him?" asked Ron.

"She definitely thought he was a nice guy. But if she actually wanted to or still wants to date him I don't think she even knows," Suzanne replied.

"Better that they stay away from each other," Thomas said. "Relationships require honesty and trust, two things which were lacking from the very beginning with those two."

Ron was surprised by Thomas' comment, "Well listen to mister relationship counselor here! But don't you think that's a bit harsh? Surely they could start over if they wanted to."

"I may have to agree with Thomas on this one," said Suzanne. "If only because we still have a quest to finish and no idea how much longer it will take. We're always on the move and he stays around the Batay Sea. Maybe when all is finished she can go back and find him but as for now, it wouldn't do for them to get involved with each other."

The next day saw Alice in much higher spirits. A day with her friends and family had helped her mood immensely and she made sure to apologize to Thomas for being distant during his birthday party. The four returned to the _Mad Hound_ and shoved off to the southeast. After two and a half days of sailing and a few extra hours of searching, they found a small island.

"Geez, how did the pirates find this place?" Alice asked. "It's tiny! And their operations aren't in this area anyway."

"Yeah but it's only a few days' trip from their hideout," said Suzanne. "Maybe they came across it while they were looking for a suitable spot to make their headquarters?"

The _Mad Hound_ found dry land and the four went ashore. Despite the small size of the island and having Celia's directions finding a settlement turned out to be somewhat difficult as the entire island was a forest. After an hour of searching they finally came across a settlement. There was a clearing of trees with some small houses and tents set up for the residents. As the group approached the settlement the people going about their daily work quickly took notice of them but after a swift glance they went back to their routines.

One man quickly came out to greet the group. He was an older man, bald but with a large grey beard and wearing long green robes. "I apologize my young friends but I will have to ask you all to leave. Your last visit caused enough of a stir as it is."

The four looked at each other in confusion before Suzanne stepped forward to answer, "I'm afraid you have us mistaken for some other group. We're not here on any sort of recruiting mission."

"Oh? I owe you more apologies then. You see, this village has only had armed visitors once before. Their visit released a lot of bottled emotions and memories. Emotions and memories that were better left bottled," explained the man.

"I'm guessing you're talking about a group of pirates," replied Suzanne. "It was they who gave us your location."

"I see. Well my name is Mlician," the man introduced himself. "And who might you four be?"

"I'm Suzanne. These are my comrades Ron, Thomas, and Alice," answered Suzanne.

"May I ask what your business is here then?" Mlician asked.

"Have you heard of the Archfiend?" asked Suzanne. "We're trying to gather proof of its existence and power as well as information on it. We heard that this village was filled with wise people."

"Ah yes, the Archfiend. I do believe there are a couple people here who were exiled for 'starting riots' to get the people to accept the threat it poses to humanity," answered Mlician. "If that is your mission then I am surprised that you did not find this island under escort as the rest of us have."

"Well we never stay in any nation long. If we stayed a while continuously warning about the dangers of the Archfiend they may have seen reason to do just that," guessed Suzanne.

"A possible answer. Well if it is information on the Archfiend you want then you should talk to Mathias," suggested Mlician. "I can take you to him."

Mlician began to lead the group through the small village towards Mathias' dwelling place. As they walked, Ron had a question for him.

"So Mlician, if everyone here was put here against their will, why didn't you all leave with the pirates?" asked Ron. "Even if you didn't support their cause I'm sure they would've given you passage to land."

"Ironically enough," began Mlician, "this prison isle has brought freedom to several of her residents. You see, when you work under the eye of a nation and her ruler, you have to abide by that ruler's laws and regulations. And as you can see, a nation is not always so appreciative of her scholars. Meanwhile, here we can make our own laws and our own regulations. We can create a community tailored for study and knowledge."

"That is why the pirates are less than popular with the people who have remained here," continued Mlician. "And why I was somewhat rude to you when I thought you were with them. Many of the younger people here, whether they were exiled or the descendant of an exile, were quick to take them up on their offer. They wanted to see the world. The older people disagreed. Now we find ourselves with a severely depleted younger generation. The future of our community is bleak because of it. Many people here believe the pirates stole our dreams of a scholarly community."

"But if you wish for a community dedicated to knowledge, then you have to branch out, don't you?" asked Alice. "I've learned so much since we left our homeland, which was similarly cast off from the rest of the world."

"Your words have their own wisdom Miss Alice," replied Mlician. "For some, it was not knowledge but fear of change that guided their decision. But do not get me wrong, there is still much to learn on this island, and for some that was the only thing that guided their decision. I myself am quite fascinated with the magic seal covers the island. Never before have I heard of a magic seal with no record of a human or monster who created it."

The five continued through the village until they came across a large house. The group entered and found the house was used as a smithy. The house's occupant, a well-built middle-aged man with hair that was dark except for some strands of grey, was busy at work as the group entered. After seeing he had visitors, the man quickly finished the part he was working on and went over to talk with them. Mlistan introduced the man as Mathias and then introduced the group to him.

"Mathias, would you be kind enough to tell these nice people why you were exiled?" requested Mlistan.

"Very well. But you lot will want to take a seat. It's a bit of a story," said Mathias. The five pulled up some chairs and stools and took their seats.

"I'm originally from the land of Samanao, far to the north of here," began Mathias. "Samanao has been xenophobic for the past decade or so. Our king convinced us to blame all outsiders for the strife that was caused in the last Great War. So great pains were taken to shut ourselves in. Samanao is naturally surrounded by mountains, except for one gap which is covered by a poisonous swamp. Eight years ago, a group of people managed to find their way in to Samanao. They told us about the Archfiend gathering power in southern Tarasia."

"Eight years ago?" cut in Suzanne. "Did you meet this group of people?"

"I did. Why do you ask?" asked Mathias.

"My father, Ortega, went on a journey similar to our own starting around eight years ago," replied Suzanne. "I was wondering if you met him."

"I did meet him, though not immediately," said Mathias. "He was not part of the initial group that visited Samanao."

"Perhaps they visited Aliahan after Samanao then," theorized Suzanne.

"It is possible," agreed Mathias. "We will have to talk about your father after my story. But back to the original tale, I and some other people were worried by the group's story. We decided we not only believed them, but we would do everything in our power to help them. Some of my countrymen and I accompanied them when they left our land, almost literally chased out by the king."

"We split off from that group and eventually made our way to Tarasia, where we saw the devastation first-hand," continued Mathias. "But as we had been told, the way to the Archfiend's land was surrounded by impassable mountains. It was risky, but eventually it was decided that we needed to find a way into its land. We needed more information and we believed that some proof of the Archfiend's power would convince more people to believe us."

"We've reached similar conclusions," said Suzanne.

Mathias nodded and continued his tale, "The two groups reunited for a time. Then your father and three others continued the journey while some of us stayed near the Isis-Romaly border. We were intrigued by some of the volcanos that were in the Necrogond. Among us were several who knew much about magic and about geology. And I know how to forge a good magical item. We had a theory, some may have called it crazy."

"What was your theory?" asked Alice curiously.

"We believed we could make an item that would cause one of the dormant volcanoes to erupt," explained Mathias. "Near one of the volcanos was a break in the mountains. But this break was covered with hostile waters. This body of water was landlocked so the only way to cross would be to build a bridge or a raft, but it was impossible to build anything on those rough waves. Likely the Archfiend cast a spell over the waters so that they could not be crossed. But if the waters were replaced with land…"

"I see!" said Alice excitedly. "You wanted to cause a volcanic eruption in the hopes the lava would cover the water! And once it cooled, you had a suitable land bridge to use."

"Very clever, lass," said Mathias with a smile. "Yes that was the idea. But the plan went awry. We figured out how to make such an item but as you can imagine, it would not be easy to make. I needed specific materials for our work and unfortunately I had only ever encountered some of these materials in my homeland. We would have to sneak back in."

"Thankfully, the king and his forces never discovered how we made it in the first time," Mathias continued. "A friend of mine and I managed to sneak back in with little effort. His name was Simon, named after the hero of the First Great War. Could always tell he'd end up being a hero too. Anyway, we went to work gathering what we needed and making the artifact that would make a volcano erupt."

"It was a masterpiece," said Mathias, as he looked as if into the distance. He no longer realized the other five were there as he remembered one of his greatest achievements. "The Sword of Gaia, we called it. My specialty had always been blades. However, this blade was not enchanted to slay other creatures. Don't get me wrong, it'd do great in a fight but that was not its purpose. Its purpose was to be thrown into the crater of a volcano and work its magic."

Mathias refocused on the group as he went on, "But unfortunately we had attracted too much attention at this point. We weren't the only ones who had been worried by our comrades' first visit, just some of the only ones to follow them. People began looking to us for inspiration, wondering how they could help us. Some even began to suggest that Samanao should reintroduce herself to the rest of the world."

"As you can imagine, the king didn't take well to that," continued Mathias. "Simon and I were arrested. We were charged with treason for trying to begin a rebellion. Like many on this island, the king realized there would be riots if we were executed. So we 'disappeared.' No doubt the story was spread that we deserted Samanao, realizing our 'evil plot' had failed. He made sure to separate us so we could not work together. He also found out how we had made our way into and out of the country and sealed it up. And to add further insult, the king made sure to send the Sword with Simon so that I would never see my masterpiece again. Now, I have no idea what happened to Simon or the Sword of Gaia."

"Why wouldn't he just destroy the sword?" asked Ron.

"To further torture me," replied Mathias, anger and sadness entering his voice. "If he destroyed the Sword, I would at least know what happened to it. A certain amount of closure comes from that. But as things are, I know the greatest thing I've ever made is out there somewhere but I have no idea where. I can try to make more objects, but even if I had the materials and support I had I am always haunted by the ghost of my greatest achievement. Any time I strike my hammer against metal I am reminded of the incredible blade and the enchantments within. And although I know it's exactly what the king wanted, I regret to admit that my work has suffered since. I used to take great pride in making the best swords, even non-enchanted ones. Now I can look at any sword I've made since and find flaws in it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories," apologized Ron.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," replied Mathias.

"Is that why you didn't take your chance to leave the island when the pirates came?" asked Suzanne.

"That's right. I just don't have the fight in me that I did, the passion," answered Mathias. "It warms my heart to see you youngsters picking things up where we left off. Tell me Suzanne, how is your father?"

"Unfortunately, my father met his end three years ago," answered Suzanne. "We were told he was fighting a dragon on his own on top of an active volcano in the Necrogond mountains."

"Another good man lost," lamented Mathias. "Why was he fighting alone? What happened to the other three?"

"They were ambushed by a hoard of monsters and separated. We were told that two of them died on top of that volcano as well," said Suzanne. "One survived, a dwarf named Gerule. He managed to escape the volcano and come to Aliahan to tell us what happened.

"Ah yes, Gerule. I remember him. Well at least he survived. It seems as though most of the great people I worked with met an ugly fate," commented Mathias.

"Could you tell me more about my father?" requested Suzanne. "I didn't have a good chance to talk with Gerule and haven't seen him since. You worked with him some. Could you tell me some details about his journey and his achievements?"

As Mathias went into another story, the other four excused themselves and left Mathias' house. Mlician took Ron, Thomas, and Alice to his own dwelling place, a small two-room house towards the outskirts of the village.

"I hope you found Mathias' story useful. Despite its ending, he really does like to tell it," said Mlician.

"That's good. For a little while I was worried I upset him," commented Ron.

Mlician smiled and shook his head, "On the contrary, normally he refuses to go into such detail at the end of his story. Your presence and what you are working towards seems to have had a positive effect on him. Tell me, do you think your travels will take you to Samanao by any chance?"

"At some point I'm sure we will. It sounds like we'll have to keep on our toes over there, if we can even find a way in," confirmed Ron.

"Well it's not like we've never cracked open seals before," said Alice cheerfully. "I'm sure we'll find a way around this one."

"Oh great," said Thomas sarcastically. "Then all we have to do is convince what will probably be the most hostile government we've encountered yet to go against a decade of their foreign policy to help us."

"Before you do that, you may want to see if you can find the Sword of Gaia," suggested Mlician. "If you could show the king of Samanao what the Archfiend is capable of, even he may have to come around."

"Actually we've been working on that," said Alice. "We came across an old Portogan legend that says 'whoever can gather the six orbs can travel anywhere they wish without a ship.' We've managed to gather four of them. We were wondering if anyone here knows about the last two."

Mlician was noticeably surprised by this latest bit of information, "Wait, did you say you have four of the orbs!" he asked excitedly. "I never thought it possible!"

"You're familiar with the legend?" asked Alice, as surprised by Mlician's reaction as he was to hear about the group's progress.

"That I am," said Mlician, calming down a bit. "But I had never dreamed that a group of people could gather so many of the orbs! The mere idea of gathering six objects scattering randomly throughout the world…"

"Sir," cut in Thomas. "Can you validate that this legend is more than a myth? We've been gathering the orbs but are unsure as to what we will find should we acquire them all."

"Ah but why accept the validation of an old man when you can see for yourselves?" asked Mlician. "Far to the west of here is the frozen land of Liamland. Towards the center of that land is a shrine. Bring the orbs you have with you. You will find the answers you need there."

"Ha! I told you!" yelled Alice with glee, pointing at Thomas. Thomas gave her a confused look and she went on, "I told you it was more than a nursery rhyme! I told you!"

Ron, Thomas, and Mlician were all giving Alice strange looks and so she went on, "When we first heard about the orbs you said it was just some nursery rhyme!"

"Would you stop shouting?" asked an irritated Thomas.

"Didn't we first hear about the orbs months ago?" asked Ron.

"Seven months and 17 days ago, to be exact," replied Alice, her voice lowered but her grin just as large.

"Please tell me you don't remember every argument you ever have just so you can prove yourself right later," said Ron exasperatedly.

"I wouldn't put it past her," said Thomas with a scowl on his face.

A cough from Mlician reminded the three of where they were.

"Sorry Mlician," apologized Ron.

"Oh do not be so sorry," said Mlician with a chuckle. "It is nice to see the fire of youth around here again. But I believe we should get back on track. Do you have a map I could use? I wish to show you where you can find the shrine I was speaking of."

* * *

"Hey guys! We may have a way into Samanao after all!" said Suzanne excitedly when she returned to the other three.

"How's that?" asked Ron.

"Remember when we were hunting for the Final Key? We came across Zlistan in Greenlad. Just before that, we came across a shrine which had three traveler's gates we couldn't get to because we didn't have the Final Key yet. We kind of forgot about it after finding the Key because we wanted to visit Jipang and after that we've always had a lead to go on. It turns out that one of those traveler's gates goes to Samanao! The sealed doors were put up by the Samanaon authorities after they caught Mathias and Simon," explained Suzanne.

"Did he have any idea why those Samanaon soldiers at the Tower of Arp acted like they did? Or what they were doing there in the first place?" asked Thomas.

"No he didn't. He did confirm that they wore the colors and armor of Samanao though. It makes me wonder if the king hasn't also heard of the Portogan legend and is actively trying to keep people from finding the orbs," said Suzanne.

"Well in any case, that's great news Susie!" exclaimed Alice. "It turns out Mlician had more to tell us as well. Tom, why don't you tell her what she told us?" Alice lightly ribbed Thomas as she talked, prompting another scowl from him.

"He was very excited when he heard we have four of the six orbs," explained Ron, when Tom refused to give Alice the satisfaction. "It seems he's also familiar with the Portogan legend, and by the sounds of it he believes it whole-heartedly. When we asked if he could tell us more about it he recommended we go to the frozen land of Liamland. He marked it on a map for us."

"And what would that mean, Tom?" asked Alice, further taunting Thomas.

"It would mean that over seven months ago when we first heard about the orbs and had nothing more than _one sentence_ to go on for information that I, not wishing us to go on a wild goose chase and waste our time when there is so much to be done, was wrong about the validity and importance of that sentence," replied Thomas. His next sentence almost dripped with sarcasm, "I apologize for questioning the legend and you Alice."

Not appearing to notice the sarcasm, Alice cheerfully replied, "Oh no apologies necessary Tom. It's a sign of strength to admit when you're wrong."

"Okay before Tom decides that our group would be better off as three instead of four," cut in Suzanne, "it sounds like we have two possible destinations. What do you guys think?"

"I say we go to Liamland," said Alice, drawing another glare from Thomas. "It's not just to prove you wrong," continued Alice defensively, "but it would be nice to see what we've been working for. Tom is right about one thing, we've only had one sentence and the beyond-coincidental presence of the orbs and the Echoing Flute. And Mlician really wants us to visit Liamland. He said we'd find all our answers there."

"As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Alice," conceded Thomas. "Our mission in Samanao, whether it is to find the Sword or convince them to join us or both, will be much more difficult and likely take much longer. From what Mlician told us, the trip to Liamland will not be too difficult so long as the captain is able to navigate the frozen waters. So we may as well get the easy trip out of the way first."

"Yeah and I have to say, even as someone who knows nothing about magic, these orbs have my curiosity," said Ron. "We keep hearing about them and keep finding them but we still have no idea what they do. Let's go to Liamland and find out."

* * *

"How do you think I earned my reputation of losing my marbles?" laughed Captain Marbeley, after the four had asked if he could make the journey to Liamland. "My crew and I made the trip to Liamland once! It wasn't the easiest but it can be done!"

"Why'd you go to Liamland?" asked Ron.

"To prove we could! Everyone said we couldn't do it. There ended up being quite a lot of money riding on the trip," recalled the captain fondly. "Paid for the trip and a little extra! Of course, if they had been smart they would have bet that I couldn't get the ship to dock on Liamland itself."

"Wait, you didn't dock on Liamland?" asked Alice.

"Heavens no! I'm not _that_ crazy!" the captain laughed again. "The bet only said that I couldn't step foot on its frozen tundra. So we went as close as we dared and then used rowboats to go the rest of the way. It wasn't too far."

"If you're sure you can make it, let's go right away," said Suzanne.

"Consider it done Susie!" beamed Marbeley. He then yelled at the rest of the crew, "Okay gents! We're going back to Liamland!" His announcement was met with a chorus of cheers and shouts.

"All this excitement to go to what is probably one of the coldest and most miserable places on the planet?" commented Thomas.

Ron chuckled, "He and his crew have definitely earned their reputation. I'm glad we have such a spirited group to help us out."

The _Mad Hound_ had to sail for a few hours to escape the anti-magic field around Luzami. After that they teleported to Aliahan to pick up the orbs they had in storage there. Then they teleported to Lancel, which was the closest they could get to Liamland. They made sure to stock up on supplies in Lancel, including heavy coats to fight the cold. They set off the next day for Liamland.

After two days of sailing southwest they began coming across some icebergs. Captain Marbeley had the ship reduce its speed but continued onwards, as the day was clear and so visibility was very good. But the closer they came to the icy land the more treacherous the waters became. After a couple hours, the captain declared that they would have to row the rest of the way.

After some extra hours of rowing the group finally laid their feet on Liamland. Unfortunately, the day was nearly over by this point and so the group would be subjected to the merciless elements of Liamland. Or so they would have been if not for Alice. She was able to cast a spell that helped keep out the elements in the night. She had to be woken up every couple hours in order to renew the spell and the four still had to wear their heavy coats and use their heavy blankets but they managed to survive the night.

The next day they continued their journey to the center of the frozen land. Thankfully, the land was not very large and Mlician had been sure to provide a very accurate location for them to go for. The four reached a large shrine that had a giant statue of a magnificent looking bird on its roof.

"My goodness!" exclaimed Alice. "This place looks amazing!"

"You know what this statue makes me think of?" asked Ron.

"The Tower of Arp?" suggested Suzanne.

"Yeah. If you were going to make a statue of a god-bird, wouldn't it look something like this?" asked Ron.

"Wait! What if the orbs have something to do with the god-bird?" wondered Alice.

"This is all very exciting guys but don't you think we could go in and see for ourselves? Inside, where we won't have this frigid wind coming at us?" suggested Thomas.

The other three conceded the point and entered the shrine. The shrine was made up of a single room but it was extravagantly dedicated. On all the walls were pictures of the same magnificent bird that was on the roof statue. These pictures depicted a large bird adorned with beautiful gold and blue feathers. Several of the pictures depicted great battles in which the god-bird had appeared in. Some of these featured the bird casting spells and using its vicious beak and clothes to fight on its own and some featured the bird ferrying brave heroes into battle. There were also six golden thrones arranged in a circle around the middle of the room.

Also in the room were two elven women. They were dressed in plain white dresses and had long green hair. They were standing in front of square portion of the floor which was sending up sparks for no discernable reason. In the middle of this dangerous looking floor was a normal portion upon which rested a large golden egg. As the four entered they realized that the elven women were in the middle of a song:

_We are  
__Protecting the egg  
__The god-bird was killed  
__Dark Sky Guardian  
__Xlysinil would claim  
__Victory that day_

_We are  
__Protecting the egg  
__The god-bird is not  
__Held in thrall by death  
__A phoenix she is  
__She will rise again_

_We are  
__Protecting the egg  
__When the six orbs placed  
__On the golden thrones  
__Phoenix Ramia  
__Will come back to life_

After three verses of their song, the four realized that the women were looping the song. Suzanne tried to get their attention. The elves turned around and acknowledged the group but did not miss a single note of their song. When they came to the line "Protecting the egg" they gestured towards the egg in the middle of the room.

"Can you tell us anything about the orbs, the egg, or the god-bird besides your song?" asked Suzanne. The two women simply kept singing their song. Suzanne tried asking them some other questions, but the women refused to halt their song.

"They sure are dedicated to that egg and that song of theirs," said Ron.

"But you realize what this means?" asked Alice excitedly. "The legend was true! The legend was talking about this Ramia they're singing about!"

"Alice, do you know why that portion of the floor around the egg is sparking like that?" asked Suzanne.

"It's trapped," answered Alice. "If you take a step on it you'll feel a dreadful shock go through you. It's incredibly painful and dangerous to take even a few steps on a floor like that."

"Sounds like fun. They should put those in museums. Nobody would touch the exhibits then," joked Ron.

"Look at the thrones," pointed out Thomas, changing the topic. The other three took a look at the six thrones around the room. Each throne had a different colored trim: green, blue, purple, red, yellow, and silver.

"Same colors as the orbs," observed Alice. "Mlician did tell us to bring the orbs. Should we put them on the thrones?"

"It couldn't hurt," replied Suzanne. She walked up to one of the thrones, the one with the blue trim. She took out the blue orb and placed it on the throne. As soon as Suzanne withdrew her hand, the orb was surrounded by a blue flame. The elven women, still continuing their song with no sign of wearing out, walked over to the throne. They performed a small dance around the throne. After which, they returned to their earlier spot.

"Well that was flashy," pointed out Ron.

"Let's place the others," said Suzanne.

The four went to the other three thrones they had orbs for and placed each one. Each one was engulfed with flames of the orb's color and then followed by a dance from the elven women. The only empty thrones were the yellow and silver ones, sitting at the north and south ends of the room.

"So the legend described the god-bird Ramia," commented Suzanne. "That makes sense. As the pictures on the walls show, she was able and willing to bring heroes into battle. And since she can fly, she is not bound by mountains or sea."

"She could carry us right over the Necrogond!" exclaimed Ron.

"And then we'd be able to see the Archfiend and his forces in all their glory," said Thomas.

"We'd have all the proof we need!" said Alice.

"You know, speaking of these pictures, is that who I think it is?" asked Suzanne, pointing at one of the room's paintings.

"It is," exclaimed Alice, suddenly breathless.

The picture the group now focused on was one in which Ramia fought with humans on her back. They were in a fierce battle in the sky against two dragons. But more interesting was one of the humans on the god-bird's back. His face was well-shown in the picture and was one the group was well familiar with.

It was a picture of the original Simon, hero of the First Great War.

* * *

Author's Note: Two chapters in a row without a lot of action in them. The next one should have some fighting in it.


	22. Chapter 21: Samanao

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 21: Samanao

The trip to Liamland did wonders for the group's morale. The four returned to the _Mad Hound_ and told Captain Marbeley and his crew of what they had found. The ship almost exploded at the news. Finally, there was clear proof of what everyone had been working so hard for. Many of the crew proclaimed that it was only a matter of time that they would find the last two orbs, prove the power of the Archfiend, and unite humanity against it. And just as had happened twice before, the forces of humanity would win.

The group wasted little time setting off for the shrine Mathias had mentioned. Alice teleported the ship to Eginbear. The village where the Soo lived was much closer but the village was surrounded by twisting rivers and mountains that would have added days to the group's trip. From Eginbear the _Mad Hound_ could take a straight line to the shrine.

The group traveled joyously, telling stories, singing songs, and playing games with each other. In particular, the four shared with the crew the song that the elven women at Liamland had been singing and soon enough the whole crew was singing it. The group even took out the Echoing Flute, the only musical instrument on the ship, to add to the crew's voices. While the group was careful to keep the flute away from Alice it found its way into Ron's hands. Everyone was quite surprised as he played the flute quite beautifully to go with the song.

"You never told us you could play the flute!" Alice had said after the song had finished.

"None of you ever asked," said Ron bluntly. Thomas snickered at the remark.

"Tom's been rubbing off on you," replied Alice indignantly, walking away as she did so.

After Alice was out of earshot Thomas spoke up, "Not macho enough for you?"

Ron stayed silent, which caused Thomas to continue, "You really shouldn't worry about that. There's nothing wrong with a little music. Not to mention you more than prove your masculinity in battle. And after today, I'd much rather you carry that thing than Alice."

Thomas cringed as though the memory of Alice playing the flute alone was too much. Ron chuckled and prepared to play again as the crew had gone into another song. Meanwhile, Alice had decided to go looking for Suzanne. After some looking, Alice found her below deck looking at some maps.

"I thought I was in charge of the maps," said Alice, feigning anger. "Why aren't you above deck? They're having a blast up there! Did you know Ron can play the flute?"

"Did you just say _Ron_ can play the flute?" asked Suzanne surprised.

"Yeah," confirmed Alice. "He's pretty good too! He better play a song at my birthday!"

"Your birthday's a ways away yet, Alice," replied Suzanne with a smile. "Tom's birthday hasn't technically come yet."

"Hey stop dodging the question, Susie! Why aren't you above deck having fun like everyone else?" asked Alice.

Deciding not to point out that Alice had sidetracked them off that question, Suzanne replied, "Just studying what I can about Samanao's layout. We may have to flee quickly once we get there but we may not be able to rely on teleportation. It's difficult since we don't have the best of maps of the area and we don't know anything about the towns and villages there. Nevertheless, I'm trying to figure out what I can from the geography alone."

"That's a good idea, Susie!" agreed Alice. "But can't you do that another time? You don't want to miss out on the party upstairs.

"I'm just not in the party mood right now," answered Suzanne. Quickly realizing that Alice was not going to let the topic drop, Suzanne continued, "I don't have a good feeling about this mission, Alice. We've gone into hostile area before, even toppled some tyrants. But now we're going to a country that will likely be outright hostile to us and they might do more than just kick us out. I just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"All the more reason for you to go upstairs!" exclaimed Alice. "Come on, fearless leader! You of all people should know the importance of morale. These maps won't go anywhere. I can help you look at them too."

"You're not going to let it drop until I go upstairs, are you?" asked Suzanne with a smile. Alice gave an enthusiastic shake of her head.

"Okay, Alice, you win. Thanks," said Suzanne.

* * *

After three days of traveling the group arrived at the triangular shrine they had encountered during their hunt for the Final Key. The three Traveler's Gates within still functioned and this time the group could open the doors they led to. The four tried the Gate on the west side first. They found themselves in a tunnel. Upon walking to one of the two ends they quickly realized they were at the Romaly-Portoga border. The group then returned to the triangular shrine.

Next they tried the Gate on the north side of the shrine. They were taken into another structure a bit smaller than the shrine. Upon opening the sealed door they found that the structure was occupied by another person. The occupant was a young man dressed in light, leather armor. Upon seeing the four armed figures burst into the room the man immediately grabbed a sword and ran for the door.

"Wait!" called Suzanne. "We mean you no harm!"

The man stopped and turned to the group, holding his blade towards them. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"A good point. Guys, go back through the Gate and take five," ordered Suzanne.

"Are you sure that's wise?" asked Thomas. "What if he's really a villain?"

"Remember the Test, Tom," replied Suzanne coolly. Thomas opened his mouth to argue again but realized Suzanne had more than made her point with that statement. The other three slowly retreated back into the Traveler's Gate. After they had left, Suzanne slowly put her weapon on the ground though she did not put her hands in the air.

"Well then, is that better?" asked Suzanne. "We can talk but unless you put that sword away you will keep your distance or I will take precautions."

The man looked quite surprised at Suzanne's actions. He kept his sword out but relaxed out of his ready stance. "Who are you?" the man asked.

"My name is Suzanne," introduced Suzanne. "The three you saw earlier were Ron, Thomas, and Alice. We are travelers on an important quest. As of right now we intend to go to Samanao. Is that where we are now?"

"No. We are between the Norls and Naxly Seas, which form part of the official border of the Zilcof and Dalmath continents," replied the man. "To be more specific we're on the northern edge of Dalmath."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" asked Suzanne.

"You first," said the man. "Why do you want to go to Samanao? What is this 'important quest'?"

"Have you heard of the Archfiend?" asked Suzanne. "It's a powerful threat. My friends and I are trying to convince the world's leaders of that fact, get them to take action against it."

"Wait, you're _those_ people?" the man asked as he put his sword in its sheath. "I've heard of you! I come from the southern end of the continent. I heard a story about four adventurers that saved a pepper merchant's granddaughter and her fiancé and they were on a mission against the Archfiend."

"May I ask your name?" asked Suzanne.

"Sonny," replied the man. "I'm a bard. My favorite form of entertainment is storytelling. That's actually why I'm here. I've been investigating a story I've heard that originated right here."

"Before you continue, I better go fetch my companions," cut in Suzanne. "Otherwise they'll come in blades flashing and spells burning in about three minutes."

Suzanne quickly went through the Gate and fetched the other three. As they returned, Thomas still watched the man with suspicion but felt no need to keep his weapon out with three skilled spellcasters against one man. Sonny introduced himself to the group and picked up his story where he left off.

"About four years ago, there were two young lovers from a village not far from here," began Sonny. "Olivia and Errol were their names. Errol spent a lot of time away; he was a sailor. But their love was true and could not be broken by such trivialities as long absences. Unfortunately, being a sailor is a dangerous profession in this day and age."

"Errol's ship was attacked by pirates," continued Sonny. "But they did not kill him. A small group of men managed to escape and told the villagers what happened. The pirates took Errol and any survivors of the attack and pressed the survivors into their service. Olivia was devastated when she found out. But her belief in her love was so strong that she was sure they would meet again someday. From that time onward she would walk on the beaches of the seas, hoping for a sight of the pirate ship that took her love or to see him coming towards her after a successful escape."

"Then came the night of a terrible storm," said Sonny, his tone now somber. "As the wind raged and the lightning struck, Olivia knew that something terrible had happened to Errol. The very next day debris and bodies were found on the shore. The witnesses from the pirate attack confirmed the pirate's insignia on some of the debris. It looked as though the ship was totally destroyed. Nobody could have survived."

"So filled with woe was Olivia that she walked the sea shore only one more time. She went just north of this very building and cast herself into the sea. The villagers would say she simply could not live without her love."

"But that is not the whole story," said Sonny dramatically. "Olivia still believed she would meet Errol again. However, after the storm she realized that it would not be in this life. She cast herself into the sea to speed herself to her love. Alas, cruel fate would again conspire to keep them apart. The pirate ship was cursed to keep sailing, even after its destruction. It sails even now, a phantom ship upon the waves."

"Wait, a phantom ship?" asked Ron. "That sounds like what Celia's group told us about? You think it could be the same one?"

"It's possible," said Thomas. "They don't make phantom ships at the shipyards anymore."

"Poor Olivia," said Alice sadly. "Even in death she couldn't be reunited with her love."

"It won't be for lack of trying," commented Sonny. When the rest of the group gave him a look he continued, "Her spirit now haunts the waters of the Narls. Any ship that tries to sail her waters will be pushed back to shore. The same for any ship that tries to come from the Naxly. Somehow, none of the ships that have been pushed back have been harmed. They are returned to either land or the Naxly without a scratch. And as they are pushed back they hear moaning voice of Olivia, calling for Errol."

"Remarkable," said Thomas. "Much like Tedanki, it would seem Olivia still has something to accomplish in this world."

"Wait," said Suzanne. "How come we've never heard of this story? The empire borders the Narls Sea."

"I can answer that one," said Ron proudly. "When I was emperor I had the opportunity to review some of the Romalian Empire's trade policies. There's not much for them to trade with around the Narls. The empire does little trade with any of the villages or city-states of Dalmath on the southeast shore and the northeast shore leads to wild lands, unsettled as far as anyone knows."

"You were the Romalian Emperor?" asked Sonny.

Alice rolled her eyes as Ron beamed at the comment. "It's a long story," said Alice.

"Well I'm always in the mood for a long story," answered Sonny with a smile.

* * *

The four spent some time chatting with Sonny and sharing stories before they decided to proceed with their journey. They returned to the triangular shrine and used the only Gate they had yet to try. They found themselves in another structure similar to the one they had met Sonny in. As before, they unlocked the door that had previously turned them away and found the structure occupied.

"My goodness!" cried the occupant, an old man wearing long crimson robes, "How did you break the enchantment on that door?"

"We mean you no harm," said Suzanne hastily, a phrase she was ready to repeat several times in this trip. "Is this Samanao?"

"It is," answered the man, "But this is not a land for outsiders. You had best turn back and leave the way you came. Now."

"We understand your concern. We heard that this land is not fond of outsiders," said Suzanne. "We don't wish to stir up trouble. We came to pass a warning to the king and if he doesn't like what we have to say we will leave."

"More people starting riots about the Archfiend!" exclaimed the man. "Please, I beg you, turn back! After the last time, the king cracked down hard! I took this job to be as far away from the capital as I could."

"How has he cracked down?" asked Suzanne.

"Any mention of the Archfiend or of anything but praise for the king has dire consequences," replied the man. "People are executed almost daily for being caught speaking against the king. He has spies everywhere. Businesses are forced to close for being accused of being the place where people plot rebellion, often with little proof."

"Wait a moment," cut in Thomas. "If the king is so strict, how can you afford to tell us all of this?"

"Like I said, I took this job to get away from the capital. Most of the unrest is there," explained the man. "I didn't want to take part in the executions or arrest people when I knew what their fate would be. I have some talent in magic so I convinced the king that I was one of the few that could maintain the seal. That's allowed me a few liberties as well."

"It's also allowed me to be here in case my worst nightmare were to come true," continued the man. "And here you are. Please, you must turn back. If more outsiders enter our land I fear it will touch off the people. We are frighteningly close to civil war as it is."

"So some of the people are thinking of standing up to the king?" asked Suzanne.

"Yes some, but not enough," answered the man.

"Not enough? You've been talking like you want everyone to just grin and bear it," cut in Alice. "But you want more people to rebel against the king?"

"Look, you don't know what this country has been through in the last few years," answered the man, now angry. "I don't like working for the king or sitting still and watching people get executed or ruined but it takes power to overturn a government. If the whole people were united in this the civil war would likely be short. We could create a better life for ourselves."

"But there aren't enough people to guarantee a short war," Ron concluded the man's thought.

The man nodded, "Some people are like me. They're content to live with the status quo so long as things don't get worse. They won't risk taking action. And there are many who agree with the king's ideas. Not necessarily with his methods but the king has convinced many that outsiders will only bring woe to this country, and so great pains must be taken to keep them out. Anyone who wants to reintroduce Samanao to the world is either too stupid to live or a villain. Our nation is divided."

"That's terrible," commented Ron.

"So you'll leave?" asked the man hopefully.

Suzanne sighed and replied, "I'm afraid not. Our mission is too important. We need to at least try and get Samanao's support."

The man looked devastated at Suzanne's reply. He seemed about to weep when Ron walked up to him. "We're not mindless brutes, sir," Ron comforted. "We've worked with politics before. That's kind of the nature of our quest really. We know how to run around hostile territory without starting a fight."

"Speaking of which, any help you can give us for blending in will be much appreciated," said Suzanne. "If we can be identified as outsiders it'll make things very difficult."

Their words did little to ease the man's sorrow but he realized he could not stop the four. He grudgingly began telling the group what they needed to know about the area.

* * *

The four spent the rest of the day and some of the next morning, which happened to be Thomas' true 19th birthday, learning what they needed to blend in. The four knew that learning enough about a culture to pass oneself off as a local takes much more than a day but decided they had better get moving. They did have one excuse to fall back on: Samanao was decently large and the group had indeed arrived about as far away from the capital as they could. The land they were on was separated from mainland Samanao by mountains and a large river. Due to this, the culture of the area was somewhat different from the mainland and so the group could use these differences to explain any behavior of theirs that would appear odd.

"So let's review," said Alice. "We're from a small village on the eastern side of Samanao called Waysville. We're going to the capital to pay tribute to the king. And while we're there, we'll be looking around because we want to see if we can find new opportunities in the big city."

"Sounds right," confirmed Suzanne.

"And our covers' names are Tracy, Matthew, Patty," continued Alice. She then turned to Ron and rolled her eyes, "…and Rob."

"Short for Robert," said Ron smiling. "Shouldn't draw any second glances."

"But Rob?" asked Alice. "Why even use a fake name if that's going to be it?"

"That's what I was saying in the first place! He told us Ron would be fine!" protested Ron.

As the two began to argue, Suzanne shook her head and said to Thomas, "I thought they settled this already." Thomas just shook his head and scowled.

After only a few more steps Suzanne warned the group to shush as she saw two figures coming at them from the distance. A huge blue-green gorilla and an old woman with purple skin, wearing crimson robes, and flying on a broomstick approached them. The four took out their weapons and prepared for a fight. But instead of attacking the woman motioned for the gorilla to halt. The gorilla obeyed and the woman took to circling the group while flying.

"What have we here?" cackled the woman. "Some mighty suspicious figures wondering about. And what's this I hear about a tribute?" When the woman observed the surprised on the group's face she cackled and continued, "Yes I heard the whole thing. How about this, you give me that tribute you mentioned and I'll forget I ever saw you."

"And if we refuse?" asked Suzanne.

"Well my pet here hasn't had breakfast yet this morning," laughed the woman, her grin full of malice. "Come to think of it, neither have I."

"Reminds me of that group near Tedanki," whispered Ron with a scowl.

"What is your answer?" demanded the woman.

The group's answer was to fight. Alice opened things up with her staff, sending a stream of fire at the gorilla. She tried to catch the woman in the flames but the woman quickly flew out of the spell's range. The woman quickly retaliated with her own spell, mirroring Alice's stream of fire. The four were engulfed in the flames but between their enchanted armor and their conditioning, were easily able to continue fighting.

Since the woman was out of reach for melee weapons, Suzanne motioned for Ron and Thomas to take the gorilla. Ron ran up and grabbed the gorilla's attention. He easily baited the gorilla into making an ill-advised attack. Ron easily dodged by rolling in between the gorilla's legs while Thomas ran up and slashed across the face. While the gorilla began to thrash in rage and pain, Ron took advantage of its distraction to make a devastating jumping strike to the creature's back. The strength of Ron's blow was enough to destroy the large gorilla's spine.

While Ron and Thomas handled the gorilla Suzanne decided to show the woman a spell of her own. Not wanting the woman to escape on her flying broom and tell others about what she heard from the group, Suzanne decided to try and take her down with one shot. A bolt of lightning came down upon the old woman. The woman's cruel grin was quickly replaced with a look of complete shock. She and her broom fell out of the sky, the woman dead before she hit the ground.

"How did she hear our conversation?" asked Ron. "She was nowhere near earshot when we were talking!"

"That guy wasn't kidding when he said the king had some good spies," said Alice grimly. "She must have used magic to expand her hearing."

"We better hide the body," said Suzanne, her voice now low.

"Hide the body?" asked Thomas, disgusted. "Like a group of murderers?"

"We don't have a choice, Tom," argued Suzanne. "We've heard some awful things about the king. There might not be much tying her to us but the king might choose someone at random and execute them anyway. We don't want to take that risk."

Thomas merely nodded his head and went along with the idea. The group found some nearby woods to dump the body in. As they continued on their journey they were on high alert and deathly silent.

As they neared the capital they saw some men wearing the same crimson armor they had seen on the men they had encountered at the Tower of Arp. But the true blast from the past came on the second day of their trip from the triangular shrine. The four spotted a group of soldiers in their crimson armor along with two figures dressed in normal clothes. Not wanting to run into any soldiers, the group went for some nearby hills to hide. They were able to keep out of sight and still keep an eye on the group. At first the group thought these were soldiers escorting some prisoners. But then Alice noticed something strange.

"Hey guys," she whispered. "Those people's skin is crimson."

"Geez, I'm beginning to wonder why they haven't turned their sky that color," commented Ron.

"It's not just their skin," pointed out Thomas, and the other three could tell he was angry at what he saw, "Look at how they move. Those people are no longer among the living."

"Zombies?" asked Alice. "Are you sure?"

"The weird skin, the weird movements, I'm sure," said Thomas.

"So now they're parading zombies in their own country in the middle of the day?" said Suzanne. "This king is looking worse and worse every day now."

Suddenly the group heard a yell right next to them. They saw Ron falling backwards with his shield having been knocked to the side. It looked as though he avoided the worst of the blow but, having been unable to get his shield in its proper position, was unable to hold onto it. His attacker was a large grey bear.

The bear was not alone either. Before the other three were able to react one of them had bounded up and took a swipe at Alice. Unfortunately she was unable to get out of the way and took the bear's sharp claws to her midsection. Even worse, the force of the blow along with the fact Alice had tried to backpedal out of it caused Alice to fall off the hill the group had been on. She rolled down the side of the hill, making her already serious wounds even worse.

Suzanne managed to fend off an attack from a third bear with only a minor hit to her side. She had seen Alice get knocked off the hill and was worried about how she fared after taking such a tremendous blow but at the same time, Ron was still in a prone position with a bear hovering over him. There was no way he would be able to pull back to Alice's position. Suzanne made the split second decision to rush into battle with the bears.

"Tom, cast a quick spell to cover us and then help us out!" yelled Suzanne. She rushed to fight with Ron's bear. The bear saw Suzanne coming and tried to swipe at her but Suzanne managed to plant her feet and block the attack. She returned with a deep cut to the bear's arm. While the bear was distracted, Ron managed to get up to his feet. However, one of the other bears ran at him and Ron could tell the last bear was about to come in as well. Ron made an impressive roll under the bear's attack and then stabbed into the bear Suzanne had already wounded. It was a risky move but Ron knew they had to try and eliminate this bear to thin out their numbers.

The bear was finished off by Thomas' spell. He conjured up a large whirlwind that swept through and hit each bear with a harsh, cutting wind. The wounded bear fell to the ground dead. The other two decided to round on Thomas. Ron and Suzanne managed to cut one of them off and they also managed to cut off one of that bear's arms as well. The bear still tried to swipe them with the other arm but its pain caused it to miss wide.

Meanwhile, Thomas still had to go one-on-one with the other bear. The bear swung at Thomas with its wide arms. Realizing he would be unable to dodge, Thomas braced himself for the attack. However, the bear's attack was so strong that it nearly knocked Thomas off his feet. Due to this, he was unable to mount a return strike and so the bear pressed the offensive; a vicious flurry of claws that Thomas could only hope to block and dodge for so long.

While Ron finished off the one-armed bear, Suzanne ran over to help Thomas. Since the bear was putting all its might into trying to tear Thomas apart, it did not even notice Suzanne. Suzanne ran the bear through with her sword. Even through that wound, the bear still managed to claw at Thomas one last time but its strength was no longer in the blow, allowing Thomas to go under the swing and run the bear through from the other side. He then quickly side-stepped out of the way before the bear fell on him.

"Where's Alice?" asked Ron, once the threat was taken care off.

"She fell off the hill," answered Suzanne. "Come on Tom, she's going to need your help!"

"I'm fine," came Alice's voice, as she finished climbing the rest of the way up the hill. She still had visible wounds on her torso, visible through the holes in her armor the bear had made. "It's a good thing I know some healing spells. Nevertheless I would like Tom's help. And make sure these don't scar this time!"

Relieved that Alice was alright, the group patched up their wounds and continued on. Fortunately, they were far away enough that the group of soldiers and zombies did not notice their fight. They decided to stop watching them and to just climb over the hills.

On their third night away from the triangular shrine they came within view of Samanao Castle Town. Remembering what they had been told about the strict laws they camped outside of the town rather than be caught out about the town after curfew. The next day they went into the town.

Even though they were prepared for a reserved atmosphere after all they had heard, they were still surprised by what they saw. The castle town was almost a ghost town. Very few people walked the streets. There were no shop stalls outside and those people that did enter a shop or other building ducked inside as though they were hiding. There were not even many soldiers out and about on this particular day.

After some wandering around, the four finally saw a large group of people. The group was inside a graveyard huddled around one of the graves, likely a funeral. What made this funeral strange was that there were a large number of soldiers at the funeral. Suzanne decided to check out what was going on, but did not want to raise the soldiers' suspicions. After some looking around, she found a man observing the funeral outside of the graveyard.

"Excuse me, why are there so many soldiers at that funeral?" asked Suzanne.

The man eyes Suzanne suspiciously. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Trying not to betray that she realized she may have just screwed up, she did her best to sound casual as she answered, "I'm from eastern Samanao, a village called Waysville. I take it this is common in the castle town?"

"Yes. Soldiers often frequent the funerals of executed men," explained the man. "In fact, they often make arrests at such funerals. The mourners of the deceased are not always in control of their tongues."

"I see. Were you a friend of the man who is being buried here?" asked Suzanne.

"I was his brother," answered the man.

"I'm sorry for your loss," said Suzanne. "If I may ask, why was he executed?"

"For badmouthing his royal majesty, the king," answered the man. The man actually did very well in hiding his anger and resentment but there was still enough there that Suzanne realized why he kept his distance. It was then Suzanne realized their conversation was being noticed by one of the soldiers. Suzanne bid the man goodbye and left to rejoin the other three.

"They send soldiers to funerals to try and arrest and execute more people?" asked Alice, disgusted.

"Keep your voice down!" warned Ron.

"Things seem to be even worse than what we heard," said Suzanne. "We need to plan out how we're going to do this. Just talking to the king is going to be extremely dangerous."

* * *

Author's Note: Over two months ago I believe I said I couldn't promise a lot of production this summer. Oh well, things happen. On another note, I believe these are my first real fight scenes in two or three chapters.


	23. Chapter 22: Perfect Opportunities

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 22: Perfect Opportunities

"We're in," exclaimed Alice in a whisper, prompting a shush from Thomas.

The four had spent a week trying to figure out how to get in to Samanao Castle. From everything they had learned of the king it was clear they could not simply walk into his throne room. The attempt alone could very well have gotten them arrested. Fortunately for the group, they met a man in a pub that was able and willing to help them out.

The man, named Alex, was a young man of short stature, shorter then Alice even. Although he claimed to be in his early thirties, his face made him look 20 years younger. He worked in the kitchens at the castle. He was the chef in charge of preparing food for the king. One of his assistants would deliver the food to the king. Because of this, his assistants often heard tidbits of the king's conversations. According to Alex, the king's confidence was grounded squarely in the seal over the kingdom.

"He doesn't admit it to the public but His Majesty actually does believe in the Archfiend," Alex had explained. "He denies it to the people because he doesn't want them to panic. The way he sees it the Archfiend could never get through the seal, so Samanao is safe as far as he's concerned. Undermine his faith in the seal and he'll have to reevaluate his position on keeping Samanao isolated. If he thought the Archfiend could reach Samanao he would be much more eager to join an alliance with other nations."

The group had not revealed that they were not from Samanao but had implied that they knew how the seal could be broken. Alex had been excited at the revelation, believing that if they were right, the king would have to change his mind on the whole issue and stop abusing his own people. Alex had also given the group a way to gain audience with the king: he could lead them to the hidden service entrance on the east side of the castle, away from the heavily guarded main entrance.

"I can show you the door and tell you the best time to come in," Alex had said, "but I can't actually get you in. The king has us locked in the kitchen. He puts a pretty strong enchantment on the door too. But if you know how to break the seal then you should definitely be able to get past that."

"I don't like it," Thomas had said later. "It's too easy, too perfect. This king, who kills his own people by the dozens for even talking about outsiders, will mystically change his mind if he sees outsiders? Just because it proves his seal isn't infallible? And we just happen to meet a man that can give us the perfect information and opportunity to speak with the king without being disturbed? It's a trap."

"I agree," Suzanne had replied. "That's why we're going to make a detailed plan B. We may even spend more time on plan B than on plan A."

Now here they were, in the kitchen of the castle. They had found the service entrance locked and enchanted but had used their enchanted key to gain entry. The kitchen was surprisingly small and cramped. The workers did not even stop working as they eyed the group that had entered so unexpectedly. The workers took one look at the weapons the group had and continued at their frantic pace.

"I get the feeling that these people are used to armed people coming through their workspace," whispered Ron.

"The king probably knows there's rebellion brewing," theorized Suzanne. "He may be preparing for a fight by concealing the movements of his men, having them use the hidden entrance instead of the main entrance."

As the four made their way through the crowded kitchen they inevitably found themselves in the way of the kitchen staff. The staff was clearly afraid to touch the armed group but would try to sneak by or get around the four with desperate effort. Never had they seen a staff of workers display such athleticism just to avoid losing a few seconds due to an unexpected interruption. The four had the distinct impression that the staff believed those few seconds could mean their lives.

"Don't see Alex here," Ron noted darkly.

The four found the door out of the kitchen was also locked and enchanted, prompting them to use their key again. They came into what looked like the main hall of the castle. The hallway was very spacious but sparsely decorated. There were numerous nooks and spaces on the walls that suggested they had once held paintings and decorations but as of now those spaces were now vacant.

"Kind of makes the place seem duller than if they just had plain walls," observed Alice.

"At least the king doesn't spend all day admiring priceless artwork while he orders executions," said Thomas with disdain.

The hallway was empty; Alex had told the group when the guard changed so they could arrive when security was at its lightest. Nevertheless the four moved quickly and quietly through the hall. Fortunately, the throne room was not far away. They saw the red carpet sticking out just a few dozen feet down the hall.

"So much for dull," said Ron as they entered the throne room.

The throne room was much more decorated than the main hall. There was the usual red carpet that led up to the large golden throne, upon which sat the king, an older man with gray hair wearing an elegant crimson and purple robe. Surrounding the king were a number of young female attendants fanning or massaging him. At first glance, the women seemed attractive but after further inspection the servants gave off a sinister and otherworldly feeling. Also unnerving was the fact that each one had red eyes.

On the walls of the throne room were a number of paintings, each one portraying a vicious monster. In particular, there were several paintings of a huge, fat, and green humanoid wielding an equally huge wooden club. There were also two artists in the room working on making more paintings, which also portrayed the large green monster. Unlike the lady servants, the artists seemed on edge as they did their work.

"Trolls," whispered Alice, identifying the large green monster. "Native to the valley of the Necrogond. "Though I was under the impression they had orange skin."

So intent were all the room's occupants on their respective tasks that none of them noticed the group's entrance. As the four made their way slowly towards the throne, all the people seemed to notice them simultaneously.

"So these are the outsiders! What brings this evil band of scoundrels to my throne room!" yelled the king.

"Sounds like he knew we were around," muttered Thomas.

Suzanne was undeterred, "Your Majesty, I apologize for entering your throne room unannounced but we carry with us dire news that could prove dangerous to your kingdom."

"The only danger to this kingdom is you evildoers!" cut in the king. "Somebody bring the guards! These outsiders have come to assassinate me!"

"We have not come to assassinate you!" protested Suzanne. "Your Highness, I can sympathize with your isolationist policies; the world is a frightening place. But this threat goes against all humanity and is much too powerful to be kept away with a simple seal. We must all unite to fight it! You must drop the seal!"

"You don't tell me what to do!" grunted the king. "Now I know who has turned my people against me! All the blood spilt is your fault!"

"The blood spilt is our fault!" yelled Thomas, unable to contain himself. "Did we execute your people for doing nothing more than talking! Did we send people to the gallows for so much as thinking that isolationism might not be the answer!"

To the group's horror, the king laughed at Thomas' statement. "What choice do I have to deal with rebels?" chuckled the king. "Speaking of which, it's about time you arrived!"

The group turned around and found that while they were arguing a swarm of guards had arrived. There were a couple dozen guards wearing crimson armor, as the group had expected would be in the castle, but along with the guards were the crimson-skinned zombies the group had seen in their travels across the countryside a week earlier.

"Now even the vilest of rebels can still serve his country," cackled the king.

"You're sick!" yelled Thomas, overcome with the horror of what he was seeing and hearing.

"Keep your head, Tom!" said Suzanne. "We're going to need to keep our wits about us to get out of this. Alice, will our magic help?"

"I don't think so, Susie," replied Alice in a dire voice. "There's no way I'll have the time to cast the teleportation spell and the soldiers' armor is magic resistant and there's too many for you or Tom to hit with a single spell. The survivors will be on us like a tidal wave."

"Very well," said Suzanne calmly. She turned back to the king. "Your Majesty, we surrender."

The king let out a deep-throated, evil laugh. "And I was wondering what would entertain me tomorrow night! We'll see if outsiders are at least similar in how they scream! Alex, take our prey to the dungeon."

At this point, Alex stepped out from behind the king's throne, his short stature having easily fit behind the king's grand chair. "It would be my pleasure, Your Highness," said Alex with a grin.

Alex gleefully walked over to the four, who greeted Alex with nothing but scowls. "I can't believe you fell for it! I guess outsiders aren't too smart!" gloated Alex. He began issuing orders for some of the soldiers to search the group for hidden weapons while some of the soldiers and zombies stood behind the four, ready to tear them apart if they made any threatening moves.

"I should search this one myself," said Alex, as he walked towards Alice.

"Big words for such a small man," returned Alice. "You try anything and I might decide running you through is worth dying over."

"Oh I don't think you would do such a thing," retorted Alex, though he took a noticeable step back after hearing Alice's statement.

The soldiers continued their search of the group, taking off their armor to make sure they were not hiding any weapons or tools on their person.

After a few minutes, Alex was satisfied with the search, "That looks good enough. We want them to be ready to entertain His Highness tomorrow night. Take them to the dungeon."

As the soldiers began leading them away, Alex stopped them, "Wait! I almost forgot." He walked over to the four. "We still haven't found how they got past the seal. The boss said they had a key of some sort."

Suzanne noticed something odd about what Alex had said right away. "Boss?" she asked, "You mean besides His Highness?"

Alex immediately jumped on the defensive, "No! I meant His Highness, of course!" He looked at the king for confirmation. The king looked at him confused, clearly not understanding why Alex was looking at him. Alex gave a noticeable wiggle of his eyebrows and the king, suddenly understanding, nodded his head to confirm what Alex had said.

"Okay, just seemed like a disrespectful name to call the king by," pointed out Suzanne.

"Well I'm his most trusted assistant. He allows some informality from me," said Alex.

"I see," responded Suzanne, acting as though the matter had been solved to her satisfaction. She noticed Alex smirk out of the corner of her eye. Clearly Alex thought he had fooled them again.

"Now back to the matter at hand, where's that key!" demanded Alex, his voice making a weird squeaking noise as he raised it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Suzanne coolly. "We cast our own spells to get past the seal."

"Oh really?" asked Alex. "Well then we'll have to arrange a quick demonstration of your magic power!"

Alex had the four shuffled to another portion of the castle. He took them to a locked door.

"This door leads to the treasury," said Alex. "It's locked with the same kind of enchantment as the kitchen doors. It's not as strong as the seal but if you wield this magic power you claim you have then you should have no trouble with this one."

"How do you know we won't use this opportunity to blast the lot of you?" asked Suzanne.

"You're in the same situation you were in when you were in the throne room," answered Alex. "Except now you have no weapons or armor. If you didn't blast us then, it would be even dumber to blast us now."

"Clever," scowled Suzanne. Alex smiled at her displeasure. "But you can't make us open this door," Suzanne continued. "We don't want you to know how we break your enchantments."

"Can't make you open that door?" screeched Alex, suddenly angry. You realize I can have the lot of you executed, don't you!"

"I'm betting you were already going to have us tortured and executed," responded Suzanne, having regained her cool.

"You think I can't make you do what I want?" asked Alex with an evil grin, having regained his composure as well. "Hold the small one," he commanded the soldiers. Three of the soldiers suddenly grabbed and held Alice, subduing her despite the fight she put up. He then pulled a dagger from his belt. The dagger was literally dripping with a vile-looking crimson liquid.

"Do you fools know what this is?" asked Alex.

"Poison," answered Thomas with disgust. "The same poison you used to create these zombies no doubt."

"So you do have some brains on you!" taunted Alex. "That's right. Now you'll open this door or this pretty little thing here will be at lot less lively, if you know what I mean."

Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas did not move or say anything while Alice continued to struggle, now with desperate effort.

"Really? You don't care if your friend turns into a zombie? And you act as though the king is guilty of monstrous crimes?" asked Alex.

"He's the one that orders the zombification!" said Thomas angrily. "You're the one causing it now!"

Alex only shrugged at Thomas' outburst. "Well suit yourselves then." He took another step forward and pulled his arm back to stab Alice with the dagger.

"Wait!" yelled Ron. "I'll open it!"

"Stop, Ron!" ordered Suzanne.

"It's not worth it!" protested Alice. At a motion from Alex, both women were given a punch in the gut to silence them.

"No!" said Ron. "I'm not going to watch Alice become a zombie." He reached down into his boot and pulled out the enchanted key. He grudgingly walked over to the door and opened it.

"It seems I've struck a nerve with the warrior man here!" said Alex with glee. "See, that wasn't so bad was it? Much better to cooperate than to put up a fight. Now, hand the key over."

Ron gave Alex the key. Alex admired the key for a moment and then put it in his pocket. He put his poisoned dagger away.

"Now take them downstairs! Put them in different cells!" ordered Alex. The soldiers grabbed the four and led them down into the dungeon. As they walked, Alice held her stomach where the soldier had hit her. The soldier's metal gauntlet had done some damage.

The group was led down a flight of stairs to the dungeon and each one was shoved in a separate cell. Alice fell to the ground roughly, still clutching her stomach. The doors were quickly shut and locked, leaving the four trapped in the dungeon underneath Samanao Castle.

* * *

"That went pretty well," said Ron as he and Thomas returned to the cell with the last of their confiscated goods.

The group's plan B had indeed gone well. Expecting a trap from the beginning, the four had put a great deal of thought into what to do if they were overwhelmed and captured. One of the keys to their plan was to appear out of control of the situation. The horror of the king's actions, turning executed people into zombies, had produced very real reactions and had indeed almost made the group lose their wits, especially Thomas. But they were able to regain their composure without appearing to regain their composure.

The key they had surrendered to Alex had in fact been the Magic Key gained from Isis, not the more powerful Final Key, which Alice had kept on her person. Alice had kept the key concealed using powerful magic, making it meld onto her skin. Of course, the Samanao prison, like any good prison, had powerful anti-magic enchantments placed on it which dispelled Alice's enchantment. Alice had planned on faking a stomachache to conceal the key and being punched in the gut by one of the soldiers had made the act much more believable.

Finally, the group had actually rehearsed the act of surrendering the Magic Key. The four had anticipated that they might have to give up a key to satisfy the enemy and so had worked on a routine to give the less powerful key, making the enemy believe they no longer had a means of escape. They had even worked out numerous scenarios as they could not be sure exactly how the event would play itself out. The group had expected the decoy key to be found when they had been searched but the guards had not thought to search their footwear.

"You sure waited a while to stop him from stabbing me!" Alice had complained to Ron. "I thought you were actually going to let him make me into a zombie!"

"Oh come on! You don't actually think I would've let him stab you do you?" protested Ron.

"We should've let them turn you both into zombies if it'd make you shut up!" hissed Thomas. Suzanne simply hushed the lot of them, silently reminding them this was not a time to make noise.

After night fell, Alice used the Final Key to easily escape her cell and then reunite the group. The next hour had been incredibly tense. Somehow the four had to find their gear and then escape. After clearing the anti-magic field, Thomas cast a spell on the group to make them faster and improve their reflexes. Since a solo person could sneak around easier and since Suzanne had already demonstrated herself to be the most capable when alone, Suzanne was the one to do the major sneaking around.

The group had caught a major break earlier. When Alex had Ron demonstrate the Magic Key on a door that he claimed had been the treasury, he had only partially been lying. The room did not contain the untold riches of Samanao but it was the castle armory and had also been used to store the group's equipment. However, Suzanne was unable to carry the gear of all four on her own and could not even carry all her own gear, since she dared not don her armor and shield since it would be much more difficult to be stealthy with them.

Instead, Suzanne took what she could and then also donned the crimson armor of a Samanaon soldier. She decided the disguise gave her a better chance than stealth alone, especially since the castle was kept almost completely unlit. Sure enough, she met another soldier on the return trip to the prison and the soldier did not even turn his head at her.

Upon dropping off what she had found, Suzanne gave her disguise to Ron due to the fact that if a soldier did get nosy or if she was hit by an unfortunate bit of light, the fact Suzanne was a woman would foil her disguise immediately. This time, Ron led the way back to the armory and made signals to Suzanne to let her know the way was clear. Suzanne dressed herself in another suit of Samanaon armor and the two took back more things to the prison. Suzanne then gave that disguise to Thomas and he and Ron made a couple more trips to and from the armory to transport the rest of the four's gear. After that, Suzanne sent the two out to check the castle's front door and analyze how difficult it would be to leave.

"As easy as things have been so far, they get more difficult from here," reported Ron upon returning. "They keep four men on the front door, which they keep closed and barred. We saw a couple soldiers leave earlier and they actually had to bring an officer with them to get permission to leave the castle. It's like the guards are prisoners here as well."

"Neutralizing the guards and getting the door open will probably take too much time," said Suzanne. "We still don't know where they keep the zombies but judging by how quickly they got to the throne room earlier they can't be far away. And we'll have more guards on us in no time if we start a fight."

"There may be another way," whispered a voice, from the next cell over as near as the group could tell.

The four, shocked that their whispered conversation had been heard, immediately went silent. The voice continued, "I have exceptional hearing, I could hear everything you said. Your four are the outsiders aren't you? Are you with Mathias and his group? Have they returned?"

Suzanne motioned to the others to stay still and went over to talk with the occupant of the next cell. The origin of the voice turned out to be a tall, wiry man. It was clear he was a younger man, perhaps even around the group's age but whatever time he had spent in prison had aged him considerably.

"What is it to you?"

"We've been waiting for you," whispered the man excitedly. "The rebellion that is. We've been gathering strength to challenge the king but have been lacking in strong leadership. If Mathias has returned, we'll have the leader we need!"

"I can neither confirm or deny that right now," said Suzanne. "What were you saying about another way out?"

"If I tell you, will you take me with you? I can be really useful! I've heard the guards say where they shipped Simon off to!" begged the man.

"We'll see," answered Suzanne. She motioned to the man that she would be back and then went to check with the other three. Remembering the man's exceptional hearing, they went into the cell Alice had originally been put in, as it was farther away from the man.

"I'm getting that 'too perfect' feeling again," Thomas said when they were sure they could talk. "An alternate escape route and Simon's location? How does he even know either of these things? Now I'm thinking our escape has been too perfect so far. Their whole operation has been amateur hour so far. I think this man is like Alex, trying to set us up."

"But they already have us in prison," protested Alice. "As far as they're concerned, we're right where they want us. What do they gain by letting us get out of our cells only to be double-crossed by another man? We'll just be right back in prison, where we were an hour ago."

"But they would know we can escape from our cells," said Ron. "From there, they would probably find the Final Key. Maybe they weren't deceived by our ploy with the key from Isis."

"I have an idea," said Suzanne. "If this man is genuine, he'll be desperate to get out of prison and we're his only ticket out. He looks as though he's been here a while and possibly tortured while here. I hate to do it but we can use that to our advantage. If he's not trying to trick us then he'll be so desperate for this window of opportunity that he wouldn't dare risk it closing. If we act like we'll just go out the front, he'll cave and tell us about this alternate exit."

Suzanne returned to the man to put that plan into motion. Upon hearing that the four would go out the front door, the man responded with absolute horror.

"No!" cried the man in a voice well above a whisper, prompting Suzanne the shush him. He kept his voice below a whisper as he went on, "You'll never make it! They keep the door locked at all times! Not even the guards can leave when they want to! They complain about it all the time! And they keep, keep, keep…" The man trailed off, apparently unable to finish his sentence.

"Keep what?" asked Suzanne.

"Zombies!" said the man in a voice so quiet that Suzanne could barely hear him. "I know it sounds crazy but it's true! I've seen them! Seen them walking around with the guards! They keep zombies here! They turn people into zombies! You have to believe me! They'll stop you if you try to leave! They'll turn you into zombies!"

"Settle down!" hushed Suzanne, as the man's voice was in danger of going above a whisper again. "We've seen the zombies. We believe that part. That's why we're so anxious to get out. We think we can get past the guards. It'll be close but we should be able to make it. Unless you can give us a better alternative, that's the option we'll have to take."

"How do I know you won't just leave me?" asked the man miserably.

"I have a deal for you," proposed Suzanne. "You said you heard where they put Simon?" The man nodded his head. "You can keep that information to yourself until we get you out of here. That'll keep your value to us. Tell us where this alternate exit is and I'll have someone check it out quick. Then we'll take you out of here. Deal?"

The man looked torn but finally slumped his shoulders in defeat, realizing he had no other choice. "Okay," he began, "I'll tell you. Of course, I haven't actually seen the tunnel for myself, but something has to be there!" He pointed to one of the other cells. "The king takes trips down here all the time, at least once a day. He goes in one of the cells but then never comes back out! I've seen him enter that cell all the time but he never leaves! How can he get out of prison without leaving that cell? There has to be something there!"

Suzanne thanked the man for the info and went back to her group. They went over to check out the cell the man indicated and quickly saw that there was a tunnel in the back of the cell. Suzanne took a quick stroll into the tunnel and found a set of stairs leading down to a longer tunnel. As she walked the tunnel she estimated that it took her well away from underneath the castle.

At the end of the tunnel there was a locked door, requiring the Final Key which she had left with the other three, but Suzanne could plainly see a set of stairs leading upwards, to the surface by her estimations. She returned to the rest of her group.

"It looks good," reported Suzanne. "The tunnel goes quite a distance away and at the end of it are a powerful locked door and a staircase that definitely breaks the surface. This must be how the king disappears, as the man claims. I say we take him with us."

The four prepared to finally leave the castle dungeon and took the man from his cell. The man embraced Alice, who had been the one to open the door, and the four had to remind him that time was of the essence to calm him down again. The five returned to the tunnel Suzanne had scouted out and traveled down it. They opened the locked door at the end with an audible creek. The loud noise made them cringe at first but the tunnel went for such a distance that they were sure nobody had heard it. However, they were wrong.

"Be gone from me, you foul beast! Have you not tormented me enough?" asked a voice, coming behind a locked cell door across from the one the group had just opened. The voice sounded familiar to the four.

"Am I going crazy, or does that sound like the king of Samanao?" whispered Alice.

"If you're going crazy, then so am I," answered Ron.

"There's something really suspicious going on here," scowled Thomas, with a glare at the man.

"Don't look at me!" whispered the man in a panic. "I don't know what's going on either."

"Do not try to fool me, foul beast!" yelled the voice again, still sounding like the king who had hours ago put the four in the castle prison and apparently not having heard the group's whispers. "I know you are there! Why do you not just kill me and be done with it!"

"Ron, Alice, keep an eye on him," said Suzanne, indicating the man they had taken from prison. "Thomas, with me."

Suzanne took the Final Key from Alice and opened the cell door. She and Thomas went into the room cautiously, weapons drawn. They were surprised by what they saw. Inside the room was a bed and chained to that bed was the king of Samanao. But this king was different from the one they had confronted earlier that day. His features were basically the same but this king looked malnourished, as though he had not had a good meal for a long time. His robes were identical to the other king's except for being torn in numerous places. In these tears and on the man's face were several scars, some of which looked fresh, less than a day old.

"Another trick," warned Thomas. "An illusion, perhaps."

"A pretty powerful illusion," said Suzanne. "And a pointless one. If they wanted to trap us, why not just store a hoard of zombies down here to ambush us?"

The king had not looked at the two as they entered but the two had seen the man shiver as they entered. If his scars were to be believed, the man was expecting a routine torture session and either refused or could not bring himself to look at his supposed tormentors.

"Sir, we mean you no harm," said Suzanne, approaching the bed cautiously. "Who were you expecting to be here?"

The man finally looked at Suzanne and it was clear she and Thomas were not what he was expecting. A look of confusion came onto the man's haggard face. His eyes darted around the room as though the room itself was foreign and alien to him. After a couple seconds of this, his eyes narrowed in a glare at Suzanne and he continued his yelling, "No, I will not fall for it! You cannot fool me, oh foul one! Just bring death to me! I can be of no more use to you!"

"Susie!" whispered Ron, poking his head into the room. "You have to shut him up! I think his yelling is carrying up the tunnel! They might be able to hear him all the way up to the prison!"

Unfortunately, despite Suzanne's best efforts to calm the man down, the man refused to listen and continued to yell at the group. Finally, Suzanne was forced to give up.

"Tom, I'm going to unlock the chains on him. We'll just have to carry him with us and question him later," said Suzanne.

* * *

Author's Note: What is going on with the "king" found underneath Samanao Castle? Can the four trust the first man they rescued from prison? Will I manage one more update over winter break before school starts and inevitably kills my motivation to write? These questions and more answered next time! Same DQ3 story, same DQ3 channel.


	24. Chapter 23: Broken Minds

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 23: Broken Minds

After their escape from the Samanao prison the group decided not to test their luck further by staying in town. The king would likely be extremely uncomfortable with outsiders running amok in his kingdom and the prisoner the group found in the tunnels dressed like the king was likely of great significance as well, considering he looked just like the king and was kept hidden away from the other prisoners.

The time Suzanne and Alice had spent studying maps of the region paid off as the group of six was able to find a secluded cave to sleep in that night. The next morning, the other man the four had rescued from prison, who was named Frank, left at first light to go back into the castle town. The four were suspicious of Frank's eagerness at going back to the place that should be most dangerous to him but had to admit he had made a point before leaving.

"Like I told you guys, I'm with the rebellion," Frank had said. "We can help you guys! And you can help us! Do you know how long we've been waiting for something like this to happen? Besides, I'll be safer than you guys. To the king, I'm just another rebel for him to torment and kill. You guys are the outsiders who broke the seal. And that guy looks just like the king, was given his own special cell and everything. He has to be worth something more than me. And I know the city; I grew up in the castle town. I know the place well."

With that, Frank left to meet up with the rebellion. This left the four to turn their attention to the other man they had rescued from prison. When the group had made their escape, they had been forced to cast a sleeping spell on the man to keep him from alerting all the guards in the city to their escape. The spell did not last long enough for them to clear the city. Fortunately for the group the kingly-looking man was considerably calmer upon waking up. Apparently seeing himself out of the dungeon did wonders for his mood. He did not scream and fully cooperated with the rest of the escapees. After Frank and the kingly-looking man awoke the four decided to get some answers.

"Hello sir. I am Suzanne and these are my comrades: Ron, Thomas, and Alice," introduced Suzanne. "May we ask who you are?"

"Who I am?" echoed the man. As he had when the group had first met him, he began to look around the cave as though he only now realized that is where he was. After a few seconds the man came out of his confusion. This time, instead of crazily screaming at the group, the man stood up from his spot and took another good look around the cave. But it was not confusion that marked the man's face this time. Even with his tattered robes and many scars the man suddenly had a regal bearing to him; he looked around the cave as though it were not good enough to hold a man of his kind.

"I am King Crayton the Fourth," began the man, introducing himself with a sudden show of bravado. "I am he who is worthy to wear the Crimson Robe. I am the keeper of the Mirror of Ra. I am he who rules these lands," his voice was then filled with the utmost loathing, "regardless of what imposter sits upon the throne."

"So it would appear," replied Suzanne. "The problem is that upon that throne sits someone who looks exactly like you save for the fact he does not have such grievous wounds or spent time in prison. How do we know you are not the imposter?"

The man initially flared with anger at Suzanne's question but the man's anger, along with the royal aura the man had just given off, was replaced again with the confusion the four were used to seeing from him. "I do not know," the man answered, weakness marring the voice that had seconds ago sounded so proud. He stared off into space as he spoke again, "I do not know how I even know I am not the imposter."

The man's proud and royal voice is what spoke next, "But I am the king. And I will not sit idly by while that villain sits upon my throne and kills my people. If you people do not plan on helping me to regain what is rightfully mine, than my time is wasted with you."

"Slow down, Your Majesty," said Suzanne, calling him by the title to help put the man at ease. "That other man from prison says he is a member of the rebellion. Ironically, the rebellion is probably your best bet at getting your throne back. He should be back within a few days."

This seemed to satisfy the man, who sat back down. As he seemed much calmer now the four took a step outside of the cave to discuss what they had learned.

"Did you see him after Susie asked how we could know he wasn't the imposter?" asked Ron. "Despite what he said, he looked like he didn't actually know that he wasn't for a moment."

"Torture destroys the mind as much as the body," said Thomas darkly. "I can only imagine how long he's been in that cell or the suffering he's been put through. Perhaps he is a random prisoner that was tortured to the point that he actually believed he was the king. Given what we've seen of the one that sits upon the throne now, I wouldn't put it past him to take sadistic pleasure in such a practice."

"Personally, I believe this man is more important than a random prisoner that just happened to get the short straw," said Suzanne. "Did you see him when he gave that introduction? We've interacted with a lot of people over this adventure and only a select few can draw themselves up with the proud bearing we saw from that man, if only briefly. I don't know if he's the true king of Samanao but he is a noble of some high standing. Perhaps a political rival of the king's? That would also explain the special treatment."

"Is it possible that it's actually the same man?" wondered Alice. "There are curses that can destroy the mind. And Frank said that he saw the king go down that tunnel every day but he didn't come back up through the prison. He must have left through the tunnels like we did. Maybe it's the curse that makes him so ruthless to his own people. It infects him with incredible evil. Then he goes down to the dungeons every day and turns into what we see here, a man who doesn't seem like he would want his people harmed, from what little we've seen of him. He fights against the evil, a terrible battle that produces the appearance we see now. Finally, the evil wins out, repairs his body for another day of malice and the cycle repeats."

"But that would mean this one king is here with us," said Ron. "People will soon notice if the throne is empty."

"You both raise excellent points," said Suzanne. "I think we should go under the assumption that this is a different man than the one who has been on the throne. If they are one in the same it won't be difficult to figure out. Within hours the castle town will be ablaze with rumors of the king's disappearance. When Frank returns, that'll probably be the first thing he says to us."

"If Frank returns," said Thomas. "And even if he's been completely truthful, that may also be dangerous. If this guy sitting in the cave is the one and only king, the rebellion will probably be here in force. Could you imagine how much it would help their cause to eliminate the king before open warfare even begins?"

"Another good point," replied Suzanne. "We may have two groups to defend this cave against."

"I wouldn't mind if Alex led an attack here," said Ron with a scowl. "I'd love to get a crack at that little vermin."

"That coward would never put himself in danger," said Alice with equal disdain. "He didn't even show himself to us until we were surrounded by soldiers and zombies. And did you see how he cowered at my threat? That was great!"

"I almost forgot!" said Suzanne suddenly. "Do you remember that 'the boss' bit from yesterday? He clearly wasn't referring to the king. Someone else is pulling Alex's strings."

"But if that's true, how far does it go? Is this boss working with the king or is the king working for the boss? And how does that guy in the cave factor in?" wondered Ron.

"If the cave king is right then maybe the imposter is also working for Alex's boss," theorized Alice. "Maybe the imposter is a figurehead with the boss being the one running the land."

"All this talk reminds me of something I was wondering from yesterday," interjected Thomas. "When we first came upon King Crayton he was yelling about some 'foul beast.' I didn't think about it at the time because we were all more concerned with the horribly traumatized man screaming at the top of his lungs. But now I'm wondering: what if this boss is a monster?"

"What if the boss is the Archfiend!" exclaimed Alice.

"Wait a second," said Ron. "The whole reason we're on this 'the boss' thing is because that's not a respectful name to call royalty, as Susie pointed out yesterday. Wouldn't it also be disrespectful to the Archfiend?"

"But Alex isn't a monster, at least not biologically," replied Alice. "Maybe he doesn't hold the Archfiend in high respect. Or maybe the Archfiend doesn't care so much about his title. Or maybe Alex is the kind of cowardly prick that would sing the Archfiend's praises when it's around but tries to seem all high and confident when it's not around."

"Hold it guys, we're jumping to a lot of conclusions here," cut in Suzanne. "We don't even know for sure there is a monster yet. The 'foul beast' he was referring to could be the imposter. If the imposter makes a point of torturing him every night I can see why King Crayton would call him a foul beast. Now we have a lot of theories and I think we'll get closer to the truth if we just ask His Majesty some more questions."

"Are you sure that's wise, Susie?" asked Thomas. "The last question you asked almost gave him another episode. Asking him to relive what he's been through in the slightest will likely upset him some more."

"I know that and I wish we could do this in a more understanding way but we don't have the time," said Suzanne. "Besides, he didn't have any trouble talking about the imposter. It was his identity that troubled him. Maybe asking him about the imposter and the foul beast will have a strengthening effect on him; help him reaffirm his identity. It's worth a shot. Tom, you keep watch here for the moment. We don't want anybody sneaking in while we're distracted."

Suzanne, Ron, and Alice went back into the cave to speak with King Crayton. The man had completely regained his proud composure while the four had been talking. He sat upon a rock as though it were his throne.

"Your Majesty, we have some questions for you," began Suzanne. "When we came upon you in your cell, you thought we were a trick by some 'foul beast.' What is this foul beast?"

"A hideous, disgusting monster," answered the man. "A bulbous and ugly humanoid with green skin. In his true form he stands much taller and far wider than any man. A brutish monster with more muscles than brain and a sickening taste for human suffering."

"What do you mean by 'in his true form?'" asked Suzanne.

"The beast has acquired some foul magic to compensate for its lack of intelligence," explained the man. "The ability to change its shape. As you have seen for yourselves, the beast is able to mimic my appearance perfectly."

"You mean to tell me that this beast is the imposter?" Suzanne asked, noticeably surprised.

"That is correct," answered the man.

"We have seen such an event once before," said Suzanne. "In Jipang, a vicious dragon named the Orochi took the shape of their leader. Alice, how common is this magic among monsters?"

"Even among monsters, the ability to shape shift so perfectly is rare," answered Alice. "While we never saw the original Himiko it would've been impossible for the Orochi to fool the people of Jipang for any length of time without exceptional shape shifting accuracy. This is not completely surprising as the Orochi was a dragon and dragons themselves are rare and powerful. In this case, we've seen the copy and original first hand and can attest to similar accuracy here. However, from what His Majesty has said the imposter is a troll: the same monster was saw paintings of in the castle. From everything I've read, trolls don't possess any magic at all. Of course, I also thought that trolls had orange skin."

"But if the imposter were a troll, it would make a lot of sense," said Ron. "It would explain the paintings in the throne room. It would explain the imposter's malice towards the people. It would even go along with our theory of Alex's boss being something else pulling the imposter's strings. This boss gives the troll this shape shifting magic and has it serve as king here to further its own ends."

"And if that boss were the Archfiend," said Alice, continuing off Ron's thought. "That would make even more sense! That would explain why the boss itself isn't the imposter; the Archfiend is busy preparing for its conquest! And the Archfiend lives in the Necrogond, it likely has tons of trolls in its employ! Plus, the Archfiend would definitely have the shape shifting magic we've seen here! With this scheme, the Archfiend would eliminate Samanao from the coming war!"

"Your Majesty, can you tell us anything more about the imposter, specifically if it seemed to be working for anyone or anything?" asked Suzanne.

"I can confirm that the brute did not concoct this operation on its own," replied the man. "That stupid monster does not have the intelligence required. I believe I heard you mention Alex?"

The three nodded their heads. The man continued, "That 'man' is not human either. He too uses the foul magic. That man is really a small devilish looking monster. This monster definitely has some magic in it. They are not the only ones either. There are some sinister women that arrived with the imposters as well. They used evil enchantments to seduce my generals and are likely keeping them enchanted to keep them under their control. They too are not really human."

"Those must be the same women that were in the throne room," said Suzanne. "That explains their evil auras and how all of them have red eyes. Your Majesty, what about this boss we have heard about? And have you heard of any connection to the Archfiend?"

"No," replied the man, shaking his head. "I only know of the others because I saw them when I was captured. Since then, I have been kept in the cell you found me in for every hour of every day. The only words that evil beast has given me were to gloat over the suffering of my people."

"As for the Archfiend," continued the man, and the three could see his regal composure leave him again. "I do not know for sure that he is involved but your theory seems logical. If that is the case then all of this is my fault. I am the one who cut this land off from the world. When outsiders came here, years ago, they tried to warn me about the Archfiend and I sent them away. It was soon after that I was captured."

"All of this is my fault," said the man, his head facing the ground as he kept shaking his head. He repeated the sentence over and over, getting more and more worked up as he did so. Before the three realized what was happening, the man had lost it again.

"All of this is my fault!" repeated the man again, now screaming. "I am no king! I am no ruler! I could not even protect my people! Why could that beast not have killed me and spared me of this torment!"

* * *

It took some doing but eventually the group was able to calm the man down. This came not a moment too soon as Ron thought he had seen a figure flying on a broomstick nearby; one of the spies like the one the four had encountered on their way to the castle town. Fortunately, the figure gave no sign that she had heard the man's screaming.

It was the middle of the next day that Frank returned, accompanied by five armed individuals. Ready for the worst, the four stopped them at the mouth of the cave, hands on their weapons. Frank's group was similarly cautious. One of the men in Frank's group stepped forward, a man looking to be in his mid-twenties wearing light armor and carrying an odd looking sword: the middle of the blade was hollowed out with a metal bar halfway up the blade connecting the two edges. The hilt was gold and very large with a green colored grip. A quick visual sweep of the group revealed that all of Frank's group save for one man and Frank himself had similar weapons.

"So you four are the outsiders," said the leader. "I am Matthew, of the rebellion. May I have your names?"

"I am Suzanne and these are my companions: Ron, Thomas, and Alice," introduced Suzanne.

"I have to admit I find everything Frank has told me hard to believe," said Matthew. "But then, after he was arrested I never thought I'd even see him again. He tells me you have a powerful key that aided in your escape. May I see it? You don't need to give it to me."

Alice was hesitant to take the key out until Suzanne signaled that it was alright. Matthew's group eyed the Final Key with great interest.

"What do you think, Sam?" asked Matthew to the man who did not have a sword. The man named Sam was wearing a crimson robe similar to the man the four had met immediately upon arriving in Samanao.

"There's no doubt, there is powerful magic in that key," answered Sam. "It is possible that is how they were able to get past the seal as well."

"Alright, you can put it away," said Matthew to the four. "Frank tells us that you helped another prisoner out: a man that looks just like the king. May we see him?"

Suzanne signaled for Alice to go get the king. "His Majesty, King Crayton the Fourth," introduced Alice upon returning with the man. The man had once again regained his proud composure. After a brief moment of confusion, Matthew's group gave a bow to the kingly looking man.

"It is as we've heard; you look identical to the king, save for the scars and the tattered robes," said Matthew.

"You mean that imposter looks identical to me, save for the wounds he has inflicted upon me," said the man indignantly.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," apologized Matthew. "But you must appreciate the situation we are in now. You may look just like King Crayton but upon the throne sits another man who also looks like King Crayton. Tell me, how is it this came to be?"

Over the next few minutes, the man retold his story to Matthew's group. Suzanne's group pitched in the details and theories they had come up with as well. The tale noticeably surprised Matthew and his men.

"That is quite a story," said Matthew after they had finished. "When were you replaced, Your Majesty?"

The man's confusion once again surfaced. Suzanne's group could see that Matthew and his men were surprised by his sudden transformation, which the four had seen several times now.

"I do not know," said the man finally. "Time ceased to have any meaning while I was in that cell. I would not have even been able to distinguish day from night were it not that the monster always came to torment me at night."

"Alright, let's establish a timeline," suggested Suzanne. "Eight years ago, a group of outsiders came to Samanao. They told you about the Archfiend but you sent them away. You told us that you were captured soon after. Do you remember how soon?"

The man's eyes started darting around again and Suzanne was worried that he would have another screaming fit. But the man was able to answer the question, "Just over a year, I believe."

"That adds value to your story," said Matthew. "I and many members of the rebellion, especially the older ones, remember a king who cared about his people, a king who would never abuse his people as is now happening. That king began changing about six years ago. Laws were made harsher and harsher until now, when people are being executed every day.

Matthew puts his sword away. With a sigh, he said, "Alright, I trust you. As incredible as your story is, it all fits. Men, put your weapons away."

Most of Matthew's men followed suit. However, one man refused to do so.

"Your wanderlust gets the best of you, Matthew!" shouted Matthew's man. "Your wish to see the outside world clouds your judgment! I have heard nothing but a string of coincidences so far! Surely if you believe that monsters can pull off such a wild scheme than you can believe that these outsiders can come up with a story that fits the facts!"

"Very well, Victor, you may keep your weapon out if you choose," replied Matthew.

"Since you have trusted us, we shall trust you. Ron, you keep on your guard to match Victor. The rest of us will put our weapons away," said Suzanne. "Now, shall we discuss matter further inside the cave? I feel that we are exposed out here."

Matthew agreed and the 11 people went inside the cave. Ron kept his weapons at the ready and an eye on Victor, who did likewise.

"Victor is not the only one who will not accept your story," said Matthew after everyone other than Ron and Victor had sat down. "It is not lightly that even I accept your story and the rebellion is not filled with people that want the seal on Samanao broken. Many joined only to protest the king's harsh methods but are just as mistrustful of outsiders as he is. They will not believe you without proof."

"You bring up a good point," admitted Suzanne. "Even we have found this turn of events hard to swallow. And the rebels are not the only ones that need convincing. If we did manage to put this man on the throne and oust the imposter surely there would be many who would see this man as the imposter and believe that the true king was assassinated. That could very well lead to civil war. Your Majesty, is there any way you know of to prove your identity, beyond a doubt?"

As had happened the last time he had been asked to prove his identity, the man stared off into space. "I told you, I do not know how I even know I am the king!" said the man, despair in his voice. "But I know I am! I know I am…" The man kept repeating that phrase to himself.

Fearing an outburst, Suzanne quickly consoled the man, "It is alright, Your Majesty, we believe you. But that still leaves us in a pickle."

"Perhaps we should move on to another topic for now," said Matthew. "Frank tells me that you recognized the names of Simon and Mathias when you were in prison. He also tells me that Simon is kept in the Shrine Jail, a prison for exiles that lies far to the northwest of here, in the Narls Sea. As far as we know, the prison is only known to Samanao. I take that to mean you have met Mathias or one of their comrades?"

"We met Mathias in a village called Luzami. It is a village of exiles, used by several nations," answered Suzanne. "There is some sort of anti-magic field on the island so nations use it to get rid of scholars and mages. It was Mathias that told us much of what we know of Samanao."

"How were you able to find Luzami?" asked the kingly man. "It is one of the best-kept secrets among the various rulers of the world. We call it the Lost Island, and for good reason."

"That would require another story by itself," answered Suzanne. "The short version is that we heard about it from a group of seafarers that spend a lot of time in that region." Suzanne would have elaborated further but knew that associating the four with pirates would not sit well with the king and would probably not sit well with Matthew and his group either.

"Anti-magic!" shouted Sam suddenly, startling everybody in the cave. "That reminds me! Your Majesty, do you know where the Mirror or Ra is?"

"But of course!" answered the man, his kingly aura returning to him. He quickly realized what Sam was getting at. "Why did I not think of it before? The Mirror is the answer to all of our problems!"

"You mentioned the Mirror before," said Suzanne. "What is the Mirror of Ra?"

A sacred treasure of Samanao," answered the man. "It is kept hidden away from most of the people. The knowledge of its whereabouts is given only to the true ruler of the land. And as the true ruler, only I have this knowledge."

"Forgive me for asking, Your Majesty, but would this knowledge only be looked on as another coincidence?" asked Thomas. "Even if the people find the Mirror where you say it is someone could always claim that you extracted that knowledge from the true king. Speaking of which, if this Mirror is so important than how is it that the imposter doesn't know about it? Forgive me further for bringing up bad memories, but he tortured you every day for years. Surely, he could have gotten you to give up the location of the Mirror."

"You would be correct but the stupid brute never asked about the Mirror!" exclaimed the man. "The idiot took far too much pleasure in simply tormenting me and hardly ever tried to make use of its torture. It is likely the beast does not know about the Mirror's power or significance. The Mirror is part of our culture so it is mentioned a lot, especially in the castle. However, since only the true ruler knows where it is, nobody every tests the ruler on its location. The people simply assume the ruler knows where the Mirror is from the moment of his coronation, when that knowledge is passed on from the previous ruler to the next by whisper. And since the Mirror is such a fundamental aspect of our culture, everybody knows what power it contains and so nobody would ever think to mention it. The stupid beast probably heard about the Mirror over and over but never thought to question where it was or what it does. It probably thought it was just some pretty mirror that the people admired, stored in the castle treasury somewhere."

"But the Mirror of Ra will now be what saves Samanao!" continued the man excitedly. "For the power of the Mirror is the power to reveal the world and all its occupants as it truly is. As one looks into the Mirror one will see past even the most powerful of illusions. We only need the Mirror to prove my identity then! When my reflection is given by the Mirror, you will see me exactly as I am now. When that beast's reflection is seen in the Mirror, you will see the ugly green monster I have told you about."

"That is wonderful, Your Majesty! How difficult will it be to acquire the Mirror? Is it held in the castle?" asked Suzanne.

"No," answered the man. "It is in a cave some distance away from the castle; a deep and dangerous cave. That is the unfortunate part. Since we never have needed to use the Mirror and since its location is to be known only by the ruler of Samanao there is nobody to guard or occupy the cave to keep monsters away from it. And since we do not want the Mirror to be found and stolen by some random burglar the cave it is in is deep enough that any such person would be turned away by the monsters within. In this way, the monsters serve as the Mirror's guardians."

"Then, Your Majesty, let us serve as your swords and shields. Bring us to the cave and we'll help you extract the mirror and save Samanao!" said Matthew.

"Hold it!" yelled Victor suddenly. "I have had enough of this! Matthew, you cannot possibly mean to extract the sacred Mirror of Ra! To have the knowledge of its whereabouts spread to a group of people who are definitely not the true rulers of this nation!"

"Does this mean you believe this man is the true king?" asked Matthew.

"I believe he looks just like him and that whatever foul magic that could be used to duplicate the king's appearance could certainly steal the knowledge of the Mirror from him as well," answered Victor. "I will not profane the Mirror by allowing a group of people, especially outsiders, to the Mirror!"

"Victor, haven't we already profaned the sacred traditions of Samanao by rebelling against the king?" asked Matthew. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. If this man is an imposter but takes us to the Mirror, the Mirror will work to the rebellion's advantage. Regardless of what happens, the Mirror will help us help the people. Surely you can see that!"

Victor opened his mouth to protest but then quickly shut it. After some more time thinking finally Victor agreed, "Alright, Matthew, you're right. I will allow this on only one condition: we must be the only ones to go, and without the outsiders! I will not have outsiders know of the Mirror's location. Surely the six of us are more than a match for any monsters in the cave."

"Though I believe we can use any help we can get, your demand is acceptable to me," replied Matthew. "But what about Suzanne's group? Do you trust us enough to leave His Majesty in our care?"

"I would hear my comrades' opinions on this matter," said Suzanne.

"I trust them," said Alice. "They seem to truly have the good of Samanao at heart."

"I agree," said Ron. "I believe these are virtuous men."

The three looked to Thomas who gave a sigh with his response, "We have no other choice that I can see. This could very well be another trick but without trusting them the Mirror will never be found. And without the Mirror, I can see no other outcome but civil war. But I still have a bad feeling about all of this. How do we truly know these are members of the rebellion? Even if they are, how do we know members like Victor won't decide to ambush us while you're away, deciding to get rid of the outsiders?"

"We will still need your key to get at the imposter," said Matthew. "And we would certainly appreciate your help in infiltrating the castle to expose the imposter to the Mirror. Despite what you might think of Victor, he would never kill you in cold blood. He is simply being cautious and I'm sure we can all respect that."

"Then certainly we can take some extra precautions, as well," said Suzanne. "How about this: we will leave His Majesty in your care and while you are gone we shall move to another cave. We shall disclose its location to Matthew, and only to Matthew, who will give his word of honor not to disclose our location to anyone else until it is time for him to seek us out again. Is everyone fine with this?"

Matthew and the kingly man nodded their heads. Thomas was clearly still uneasy with the idea but eventually gave his assent. "Fine. I believe Matthew is a man of honor. I will trust him," he agreed.

"Then it's settled," said Suzanne. "Matthew, we will leave His Majesty in your hands."

* * *

The four settled on a new location to move to and showed Matthew where they would be. Matthew vowed not to disclose their location until he personally led a group to them. The four moved to another cave in the hills and waited for Matthew to return. Four days later he and the king did return, without the rest of Matthew's group.

"Oh my goodness," gasped Alice, who had been on watch when they spotted the two. "Guys, come here, they need help!"

The king looked more or less the same as he had when they had left. He was wearing different clothes and though these new clothes had some tears in them he was otherwise no worse for the wear. On the other hand, Matthew was in much worse shape. His right arm was a bloody pulp with the bone visible in several places. He had severe burns all over his skin. The king had been supporting Matthew as they walked. Thomas and Alice immediately went to work healing Matthew's wounds.

"What happened?" asked Suzanne.

"It was the other prisoner, the one called Frank," answered the kingly man. "On the second day of our journey we started hearing some incredibly shrill shrieks in the distance. Every time we heard one of those shrieks, Frank seemed to get more and more agitated. We thought he could not stand the sound, I must admit it was quite annoying."

"As we neared the cave of the Mirror," continued the man. "There was a particularly loud shriek. It must have been close by. At that shriek, Frank went into a rage. He began grabbing his head and then beating himself until finally he let out a shriek of his own."

"Brainwashing," said Thomas grimly. "I've read about it. One of the reasons Desmond was so hated was because he was a huge fan of it. You use torture to break a person's mind and turn them into your slave but not even the victim knows it. The shriek must have been a trigger."

"That must have been why Frank was kept alive," said Ron. "It was clear he'd spent some time there. We should've wondered why he would still be alive when the king is normally so eager to execute his prisoners."

"We were so busy worrying about the king that we forgot to check on Frank," noted Alice.

The man continued his story, "We tried to get Frank to be quiet but it was too late. They were upon us in force after that. A bunch of kongs and ugly women riding broomsticks. Before they saw me, the women seemed disappointed. It was clear they were hoping to have found the rebellion's center of operations."

"Kongs?" asked Alice.

"A giant turquoise gorilla," answered the man. "We call them kongs. Back to the story, the enemy forgot about the rebellion when they saw me. To Frank's credit, they tried to find out what our mission was. Clearly the brainwashing was still affecting him but he fought against it. He ended up taking his own life rather than tell them anything."

"The fighting was fierce," continued the man. "Matthew quickly realized that we had no hope of winning. He ordered a retreat. But our pursuers were many. We ended up splitting up to try and shake them. One of the others put on my robe to draw the enemy away from us. They knew it would almost certainly be suicide. In the meantime, Matthew and Victor went with me. They fought their best to protect me. Victor fell in my defense. Matthew gave his body to protect me." The man spoke with heartfelt gratitude in his voice.

"I'm afraid he's going to be giving more of it," cut in Thomas. "His wounds aren't fresh enough for us to fully heal. We can keep him alive but he's going to lose his arm."

* * *

Thomas was able to get Matthew in stable condition but as he had said, Thomas had to amputate Matthew's arm. The next morning Matthew was able to talk with the group.

"Why did you come to us?" asked Suzanne. "As a member of the rebellion you must have many people you could go to. People with a warm bed that you could stay with."

"But I'm not sure who I can trust," replied Matthew. "That's another reason the rebellion has been slow to move. It's not just because we fear we don't have the power to move openly against the king, it's because inside the rebellion is a lot of mistrust and deception. I picked my team because they were the ones they could trust the most. Now that they're gone… I didn't know who I could turn to."

"So out of all the people in the rebellion, there was nobody else you could trust?" asked Suzanne. "You would trust outsiders above your fellow rebels?"

"In a way it's because you are outsiders that I trust you," answered Matthew. "Samanao is a mess right now. It's not just the king that is the problem, our people are in disarray. Sometimes it seems like everyone has a scheme; like everyone is just out for themselves now. But you're outsiders; you are apart from all of this. Maybe it was my wounds affecting my mind but I felt that you were the ones I could trust the most."

"We're honored that you felt that way based off our one meeting," said Suzanne. "So what do we do now? We still need the Mirror."

"I will give you the Mirror's location," said the kingly man. "In the meantime, I will stay here and look after Matthew."

"Are you sure about that, Your Majesty?" asked Suzanne. "You want to give the location of one of your nation's most sacred treasures to outsiders? And you won't even accompany us to the cave?"

"It is as Matthew said, I feel that I can trust you," answered the man, who seemed more like a king than at any time the group had seen him. "And someone has to look after Matthew. He won't be able to travel for a little while in this condition and he certainly cannot go into town. There will be too many questions; it will be too easy for the imposter to figure out who he is and end him. Besides, I have to repay my debt to him."

* * *

Author's Note: Well I actually managed another update. I thought we'd finally get a good dungeon crawl chapter but it quickly became apparent that there was too much setup that had to be done. But at least the next chapter will have some action in it.


	25. Chapter 24: The Mirror of Ra

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 24: The Mirror of Ra

"Now I don't mean to make light of our current situation," said Ron when they had arrived at the cave, "but can someone explain to me how we are once again charging into a monster-filled area without a map or directions of any kind? Especially since this time we had a person with a lot of knowledge of this cave?"

The kingly man had explained before the group left that although Samanaon royalty were told precisely where the cave was they were not given any help in navigating the cave. Samanaon tradition truly did not want the Mirror of Ra to be taken and used at a whim and so if a monarch were to try to remove the Mirror a monster-filled cave would ensure that monarch had very good reason.

It took the group two days to go from the cave they had been hiding in to the cave holding the Mirror of Ra. The trip took them through the hills surrounding Samanao Castle and to the tall grasslands beyond. Their trip took them to the southeast corner of Samanao. Samanao had large, impassable mountains on most of its border but on the southeast corner was a lake. Going off of the king's directions the group found a small bridge concealed by the water.

The bridge was underneath the water and designed to blend in with the lake on even the clearest of days so that it would not be randomly found. Since there were few settlements past the hills this further decreased the chances that the bridge would be found. The four waded through the water, which came to about waist height, and eventually came upon a tiny patch of land that had looked inconspicuous from the distance. The land was covered in poisonous marsh which normally would inflict injuries on anybody just from trying to cross. Alice had cast a spell upon the group that caused them to levitate about a foot off the ground, keeping the four from being harmed by the marsh.

Now the four had made it to the cave where Ron had pointed out that, as usual, the group was going blind into dangerous territory. On the other hand, Alice was undeterred.

"We'll just have to be the first to map this cave then!" she said cheerfully.

"Wouldn't that be disrespecting Samanaon custom to map this cave?" asked Ron.

"I thought about that and the answer is no," answered Alice with a large grin. "Technically, it's against their custom for the king to map out the cave. King Crayton never said anything about other people mapping out the cave."

"Doesn't that go against the spirit of the law?" asked Ron. "I think the idea is that as little knowledge of the cave is preserved as possible."

"Well it's not like I plan on selling copies of the map! And we're already breaking their laws by being here!" protested Alice. "But fine Ron! If you want to go through a monster-infested cave without keeping track of where we've been then that's what we'll do!"

"That won't be necessary," cut in Suzanne, trying to end their argument. "We'll handle this cave the same way we handle every cave."

The first chamber of the cave was spacious with two hallways coming off of it: one directly in front of the group and one behind the stairway they had taken down, off to the right. The four decided to start off by going directly forward. The hallway took a quick turn to the right and then back to the left. No sooner had they taken the second turn then they found company.

"I'm surprised it took this long," commented Ron, preparing to charge forward.

Around the corner were three monsters that looked almost identical to human skeletons that walked on their own. The main difference was that while a human skeleton obviously still has two arms these skeletons had six each. Each arm was holding a sword and the skeletons had blue helmets and blue armor on their shoulders.

"Alice, the zombie slashers will do more damage than fire to bones! Double on one with Tom!" said Suzanne.

Following Suzanne's advice, Thomas and Alice ran at the same skeleton. Alice went in first in order to distract the monster from Thomas, as he had a zombie slasher. The skeleton bore down on Alice with all six of its arms. Alice quickly had to go on the defensive. Fortunately, the skeleton did not seem to be a very skilled swordsman as she was able to block three of its blows with her shield. But with three other arms coming at her she was only able to parry one with her own sword and took two blows to her shoulder. Her armor took the worst of the blows.

Fortunately, this allowed Thomas to get behind the skeleton and as it had used all its arms against Alice, none remained to block Thomas' attack. Thomas brought his zombie slasher diagonally through the skeleton's back, destroying its spine and leaving the head and arms on the ground. The spine proved to be the monster's weak point as the arms and head were not moving on their own.

Meanwhile, Suzanne and Ron had engaged one skeleton each. As neither of them had backup they had only their swordsmanship to rely on. As Alice had just found out, the skeletons relied on their extra appendages to fight rather than any real skill. Suzanne made a move towards the middle of the skeleton. The skeleton responded by slashing at Suzanne with all six of its arms. Suzanne then made a spin move and used her shield to push aside the creature's right arms. With the creature's side exposed and its arms out of position, Suzanne completed the spin with a horizontal slash. Although her strike was not a direct hit on the creature's spine like Thomas', the magic of her blade took care of the rest. The searing light of the blade reduced the skeleton to a pile of unanimated bones on the ground.

Ron was less direct in his approach. He waited for the creature to strike after which he would mount a counterattack. The skeleton came at Ron with four of its arms while its other two began moving in a strange manner. The four were engulfed in purple light, making them more vulnerable to physical harm. Due to the spell, Ron was only able to block one blade with his shield while the other three were able to hit him. His armor made two of the blows negligible while the third slash hit him in the ribs. The strike forced Ron back a step but deciding not to let his opponent cast its spell again, Ron charged forward and gave it a vicious vertical slash. Ron's sword narrowly missed the skeleton's helmet and went inside of its shoulder armor, destroying the skeleton's spine in much the same way Thomas had destroyed his, only from the front this time.

As the four went through their usual post-fight routines, Alice had a question, "Tom, I thought you said the undead couldn't wear armor?"

"I said few zombies could wear armor," said Thomas. "And these aren't zombies anyway. They weren't created by the poison we've seen Samanao use. As far as I know, only necromancy can animate skeletons, alter the remains, or put enough power in the undead to wear armor."

"If that's the case, we might find necromancers here," said Suzanne. "And if that's the case, I wonder if they're in the employ of the imposter. He may have found out about this cave after all."

With the fighting done for the moment they found that another hallway branched off to the right from the one the four were currently in. They decided to stay their present course and continue forward. The hallway zigzagged a few times and then turned to the right until it once again split; this time with a path left and a path right. In this case, the four quickly found the two splits met and made a loop, with a different path going off the loop opposite the one they had taken into the loop. This path finally led to a large chamber with a pond inside of it. The pond was fed by a stream coming from the ceiling down the wall of the chamber.

"Who would've thought we'd see such nice scenery in this cave?" wondered Alice aloud. "The pond here must be fed from the lake above us."

"Looks like it's a popular spot with the monsters," said Thomas, pointing the other three to two figures that had emerged from the water.

The two figures looked like huge turtles at first until their heads also came out of the water. The creatures' heads looked like those of dragons. They had dark green skin and had red frills running from their head, into and out of their shell, and to the end of their tail. It was clear that they believed lunch had arrived as they immediately moved for the group.

Alice pointed her staff at the two turtle monsters and a stream of fire rose up at their feet. However, neither monster appeared fazed or hurt by the flames.

"They're resistant to magic!" warned Alice.

The four would once again have to solve their problems with their blades. Suzanne and Thomas teamed up against one of the turtle monsters. Their weapons were remarkably less effective against the turtles than they were against the skeletons. The creature's scaly skin was tough to get through and Suzanne's strike barely drew blood. When Thomas launched an attack of his own the creature parried it with its tail, knocking Thomas' blade harmlessly into the turtle's shell.

Ron met with a little more success. He ran up to engage the other enemy on his own and aimed a slash at the monster's head. The turtle jerked its head away at the last second but exposed its neck in the process. Ron's strength allowed his blade to break through the turtle's scales and deal it a serious wound. The creature fell back a step and then took a deep breath and exhaled a purple, sweet-smelling cloud. Recognizing the breath attack Suzanne, Thomas, and Alice were able to hold their breath while the cloud passed but Ron had been right next to the creature when it exhaled its breath and so caught a full breath of it. He fell to the ground asleep.

The turtle started advancing upon Ron intending to take advantage of his slumber to land a terrible blow. Alice rushed forward to cut the creature off. With the Meteorite Armband enhancing her speed and the fact that the turtle monsters were not very fast she was just able to get there in time. While Alice engaged Ron's foe Suzanne drew her enemy's attention to allow Thomas to disengage. Suzanne took a bite to her arm for the effort but was far from incapacitated by the wound. Thomas cast a spell upon the four and several small bursts of light briefly covered each one of them. The spell had no effect on Suzanne, Thomas, or Alice but served to wake Ron up.

As Ron crawled to his feet Alice made a strike at his turtle. Having not been paying attention to Alice the creature made no effort to block or parry her attack and she landed a terrific blow right between the creature's eyes. The added weight of Alice's hand-and-a-half sword gave enough force to her attack that the turtle's face was smashed in by it. The creature gave a strangled cry and fell to the ground, no longer able to support its heavy shell as the blood from Alice's and Ron's wounds proved to be too much for it. Ron quickly ended the beast.

Meanwhile Suzanne continued to duel against her foe. The turtle's tough skin saved it again as Suzanne faked a strike to its face and then pulled off another spin move to strike at its neck. The move gave Suzanne a good shot at its neck but kept her from setting her feet for the strike so there was less force behind it. The wound was not fatal but did hurt the turtle enough to throw off its next attack. Suzanne easily blocked its bite attempt with her shield. By this point, the other three had dealt with the creature's companion and came over to help Suzanne. It stood no chance against the four of them.

"Damn, these things had some impressive defenses," noted Ron after the fight was over.

"Magic didn't appear effective and their tough skin and shell made it a pain to hit them," concurred Alice, elaborating on Ron's observation.

"At least they were slow," said Suzanne.

"We should probably get moving," said Alice. "I would imagine those turtle monsters love this pond here. More of them may be here in a matter of time."

The four continued their exploration of the cave. The chamber with the pond had two exits other than the one the group had taken in: one straight across and one around the pond and to the right. The four chose the one straight across. This path took them to yet another chamber with exits straight ahead and to the right. The group had noticed a pattern by this point but continued to explore as usual to make sure not to miss anything. The whole first floor of the cave was arranged as a large loop. In several places the loop branched off towards the middle. In the middle of the loop was a staircase leading down.

The staircase took them to a huge chamber, the largest of the cave so far. The first thing the four noticed was a treasure chest not far from the staircase. Weary of a trap but not wanting to waste unnecessary time the group decided to check the chest out. Alice used her magic to verify that it was not a trap and they opened the chest to find some gold pieces.

Not far from this treasure chest was another chest. And not far from that chest was yet another. The group quickly found a trail of treasure chests leading the group into and through a hallway which brought them to a small chamber. Alice checked each chest along the way and not one of them was trapped. The group found some more gold, a medical herb, an acorn of life, and a strength seed. Suzanne decided to put up with the pain of eating the acorns this time while Alice took the seed. The chamber the group was led to had four more treasure chests inside it.

"Looks like a treasure chamber," observed Ron. "You think the Mirror is here?"

"Maybe, but we're not going to start taking chances now," answered Suzanne. Alice was already using her magic on the chests. Unlike the other treasure chests, she immediately backed away from the first chest she checked and motioned for the others to avoid it. She went to work on the other chests. She gave a similar reaction to the other three.

"They're all trapped!" whispered Alice nervously. "Let's get out of here!"

The four wasted no time and quickly withdrew from the room. They made their way down the hallway that had led them to the room. Suddenly, the four were engulfed in a purple light, the same spell one of the skeletons had used earlier. Before any of them could react Suzanne was engulfed in a flurry of blades. As the spell had lowered her defenses several of the blades found their way past her armor and those that did not left dents in her armor, almost knocking the wind out of her. As Suzanne staggered backwards another figure ran up to her and hit her in the head with a staff.

Suzanne's attackers were two more of the six-armed skeletons like those the group had met earlier. They were the source of the spell and the blades. The staff came courtesy of a man wearing red and blue furs and a weird mask.

"Yes! Kill them, my children!" yelled the man.

Alice was the first to react to the attack. Seeing the hits Suzanne had taken she began chanting a strong healing spell. The spell did not erase all of Suzanne's wounds but certainly made them look much better. Suzanne focused on trying to defend against the next flurry of blades that came from the skeletons. She did an admirable job but was only able to block five of the twelve blades that came flying at her, causing new wounds and reopening some of the ones Alice had just healed. The man contributed a smack to Suzanne's ribs with his staff.

Out of the corner of her eye, Suzanne saw Thomas hesitate on his charge. Knowing he was about to cast a spell, Suzanne yelled out, "I'm fine for now Tom! We need to thin out their numbers!"

Once again, the skeletons' lack of skill and awareness was of great aid to the group. Ron met no resistance as he made a great jump attack on one of the skeletons, obliterating it with the combined might of his attack and his blade's magic. Thomas' hesitation allowed the other skeleton to recover and bring some of its blades against him. Thomas managed to dodge all but one of them but he was unable to destroy the creature with his attack. Instead, he only managed to take off the skeleton's legs.

Alice saw the man back away from the melee and realized he was either going to try and escape or cast a spell. Alice cast a spell of her own to try and stop him. Since she did not know if the man meant to cast a spell or escape she decided not to seal the man's magic. Instead, she sent a fireball at the man. The fireball exploded on impact, inflicting serious wounds on the man. However, he was not put down yet. He cast a spell and a bright beam of light, seemingly from the ceiling, and shined down on the remains of the destroyed skeleton. Most of the pieces of the skeleton levitated in the air and reformed most of the skeleton.

With one skeleton now focusing on Thomas and the other having just reformed Suzanne was finally able to mount an offensive. Before the newly-reformed skeleton could act gave it a vicious upward slash, reducing it to even finer pieces than it had been in before the man's spell. Thomas finished off his skeleton while Ron ran at the man. The man tried to backpedal and get another spell off but Ron proved to be too quick and ran him through with his sword.

"I think we found one of our necromancers," said Ron as he removed his blade.

"I wonder if they were the ones to leave the trail of treasure chests, hoping we would get attacked by chest monsters in that chamber," mused Suzanne as Thomas healed her wounds.

"It's possible," answered Alice. "That guy had some powerful magic. He was able to reanimate that skeleton in the middle of battle. That takes some serious skill."

"It also means that the imposter probably knows about this cave now," said Thomas. "We've seen how well-hidden the cave is. I doubt that man could have just stumbled upon it."

"We'll have to hurry then," said Suzanne.

The four quickly crossed the large chamber and found a hallway on the other end. A short ways down the hallway split to the left and the right. To the left was another trail of treasure chests leading the group to another small chamber. The chests on the path were once again deemed safe and held a small amount of gold, a medical herb, and a seed Thomas said could boost a person's resilience to illness and the spells that inflict them. However, just like the other small chamber, this path led to a room with two chests that Alice said were both actually monsters.

The group prepared for another ambush as they left the chamber but this time they met no resistance as they withdrew from it. They went down the other hallway and after a small walk another hallway branched off of the one the four were currently on. This hallway had a single treasure chest leading to another chamber with two more chests in it. In this case, the lead-in chest was identified as a trap and one of the chests in the chamber was deemed safe. Inside that chest was a beautiful stone with a set inside it.

"What is this?" asked Suzanne, holding the stone up.

Thomas looked shocked when he saw what Suzanne had taken out of the chest. He went over to her and began examining the object as the other three gave him confused looks. "This is called a Stone of Life," he answered finally. "It works as a charm against spells that inflict death without wounds, such as those used by mimics. It is said the Stone 'dies in your place.' If you have a Stone of Life in your possession when such a spell is cast on you it will break into a million pieces but you will be unaffected. It's an incredibly powerful item."

"Alright, Tom, you take the Stone," said Suzanne, handing the Stone to him.

"Me? No, I couldn't take such a powerful charm and rob one of you of its protection," protested Thomas.

"But you are the most skilled at healing among us. If one of us is hit with such a spell you could possibly save us before we die," explained Suzanne. "But if you are taken out than none of us can help you."

"I don't know if that's true," said Thomas.

"Stop being Mr. Self-Doubt," said Alice with an exasperated sigh. "Of course it's true! Now you heard Susie, take the Stone before we knock you out with it and put it in your pack anyway!"

Normally such a remark would earn one of Thomas' scowls but this time he gave a small grin and took the Stone. Without further argument, the four continued their exploration. They returned to the hallway they had been exploring and soon arrived at its end: a small chamber with a descending staircase.

On the next floor the group was greeted with another small pond. This pond actually had a stream running to a larger body of water; this one could almost be considered a lake. In the middle of the lake was a small body of land upon which were a couple of pillars and a treasure chest between them. Unfortunately, there was much more than water between the four and the chest.

"That's a _lot_ of monsters," said Ron. The lake was a breeding ground for the turtle monsters the group had fought above. Not a single place on the lake was stagnant due to their splashing and thrashing.

"Why aren't they coming at us?" wondered Alice.

"They appear much more agile in the water than they did on land when we fought them," noted Suzanne. "The water is their home; they'll tear us apart if we try to enter but we can put up a much better fight if they come to us. And judging by the decoration on that little island I would be willing to be that must be where the Mirror is."

"That's just great," grumbled Thomas. "We have to go through a legion of monsters to cross the water. There's no way we'll make it,"

"Maybe not," said Ron, looking up at the ceiling. "Look." The other three looked where Ron indicated and saw there was a hole in the ceiling.

"I'm thinking we missed something upstairs," said Ron. "If we can find the top side of that hole up there, we could just drop down to the island. We get what's in the chest and get out before the monsters decide to swarm us."

"Good eyes, Ron!" said Alice. "That should work perfectly!"

"Unless it's another trap," said Thomas. "Decorate a piece of land, put an empty chest on it and fill the lake with monsters. Put a hole in the ceiling so anybody who sees it thinks they're clever in getting to the island. Then the monsters overwhelm them."

"Tom has a good point," agreed Suzanne. "Before we go looking for a way to that island let's finish exploring the rest of the cave. If we don't find the Mirror then we'll have no other choice but to find that hole."

The chamber with the lake had three other exits on it. Through those exits the four ran into some more skeletons but without the element of surprise on their side and with the group's zombie slashers they were of little consequence. All three exits led to a hallway that connected to the other exits. The four returned to the lake chamber and as they continued to search that room, keeping an eye on the hungry-looking turtle monsters as they did so, they found one other chest they had almost missed while focusing on the island. Inside that chest was another peculiar item.

"Is that… a giant cat suit?" asked Ron, bewildered.

"Looks like it," said Suzanne. "Probably another red herring like the rest of the chests here."

"Actually, this suit has some interesting magic in it," said Alice as she began to examine the suit. "I've read about these. They're called animal suits. Creative name, isn't it? Anyway, if you put on the suit it'll actually transform you into the animal the suit looks like. You'll retain your regular mind and will be able to take it off whenever you wish."

"Transformation magic seems to be a specialty around these parts," said Suzanne. "Well anything that can serve as a disguise could be of use. Let's take it with us."

The four returned to the floor above and redid their search. They returned to the large chamber on that floor and found that there was a small hallway in the southeast corner they had overlooked before. Having seen the trail of chests on arriving in that chamber and the obvious exit on the southwest corner they had forgotten to look in the southeast corner. A small ways in and they found the hole Ron had seen from below.

Alice had more than enough magic left to slow the group's fall but they wanted to give themselves as many escape routes as they could and so they still lowered four ropes down. Unfortunately, lowering the ropes gained the attention of the monsters below. Several of them eyed the ropes suspiciously. Nevertheless, the four jumped down the hole, with Alice's magic slowing their descent.

As soon as their feet hit the ground the monsters were on the move. Alice quickly ran to the treasure chest and checked it out. Finding that it was safe, except for its environment, she opened it and took out a beautiful mirror. There was no time to admire it, the enemy was upon them. There also was no time to climb up the ropes the group had left. It looked as though the entire lake was emptying itself to attack them. Legions of turtle monsters were coming at the group.

"Guys, over here! We have a way out!" called Thomas. He was looking down at the ground. The other three rushed over to him to look at what he found. There was another hole in the ground. Seeing no other way to escape in time Alice quickly cast her spell again and the four jumped into the hole just before the first wave of monsters reached them. They landed safely on the floor below them.

"Alice, begin casting the teleportation spell! We'll keep them off you!" yelled Suzanne.

Some of the turtle monsters began dropping through the hole. Once again, the monsters' lack of athleticism on land worked to the group's advantage. Two of the turtle monsters landed on their shells. This kept the fall from hurting them but left them vulnerable. Suzanne and Ron were easily able to behead them. Another turtle landed on two of its four feet. The impact caused it noticeable pain and it was unable to stand up on those two legs. Thomas further disabled it by slashing its other two legs and the creature was practically defenseless after that.

A few more turtles came down the hole after the group but proved no more able to make a graceful landing than their brethren. Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas dispatched them with ease. After that, the turtles looking through the hole from above saw the fate that awaited them and so decided to back off. With no more immediate threats Alice was able to finish her spell and teleport the group out of the cave.

"There they are! Get them!"

Another ambush awaited the group after their escape from the cave. There were four Samanaon soldiers ready and waiting for them. Along with the soldiers were four floating slimes with tentacles. They looked like men o' war except they were red. What made it worse is that they had teleported into the middle of the poisonous swamp; the four could feel the burning liquid on their legs. The floating slimes were obviously unaffected by this but Suzanne realized that the soldiers were not. Instead of retreating back into the cave to get away from the poisonous swamp she decided on a different approach.

"Alice! Use your levitation spell on us! Then you and Tom focus on the slimes!" ordered Suzanne.

Alice did as she was told and the four were soon floating just above the surface of the harmful terrain, now immune to its effects. Thomas cast a spell of his own and a large cloud of purple smoke emerged underneath the flying slimes. From the purple smoke emerged additional smoke-shaped clouds that engulfed the four slimes. The purple smoke quickly dissipated and when it did three of the slimes were lying on the ground. The slime that was still floating did not appear to have any wounds but seemed shaken by the spell.

This left Suzanne and Ron to take on the four soldiers by themselves. With Alice's spell keeping them out of the poisonous swamp the terrain was now a huge advantage to the two. Not only were they no longer being harmed by the swamp but it also was not hampering their movement. The four soldiers had difficulty moving which is why Suzanne and Ron were able to keep them away from Thomas and Alice.

Remembering that the soldiers had some magic skill of their own Suzanne decided to press the offensive. She took one of the soldier's strikes, her armor taking most of the pain for her, and struck with all her might. The blow went through the man's armor and into his shoulder causing him to drop his shield and howl in pain. The other man tried to strike Suzanne but the swamp kept him from setting his feet properly and so Suzanne was able to get her shield up in time to block the blow.

Ron also decided to take an aggressive approach. Ron faked a charge right at the man, causing him to focus on blocking Ron while his partner readied a vicious attack of his own. Then Ron performed a daring stunt in which he jumped, kicked off the first soldier's shield in order to change to direction of his flight, and delivered a punishing slash to the other soldier's head. Like Suzanne's attack, Ron managed to break through the man's helmet and into his skull, causing him to crumple on the spot. The only penalty for Ron's move was that he was left off balance on his landing allowing the unwounded soldier to shield bash him. Ron fell over and if it were not for Alice's spell would have caught a mouthful of poisonous swamp.

The surviving slime came to its senses and cast a spell of its own. A large burst of bright light surrounded the soldier Suzanne had wounded while small streams of green light swirled around him. The wound Suzanne had inflicted erased itself right before the group's eyes and were it not for the damage to his armor there would have been no sign he had ever been wounded.

Continuing to sling the magic, Alice completed another spell. A huge explosion engulfed the battle, dealing severe wounds to the slime and one of the three surviving soldiers while the four and the other two soldiers were left unharmed; the spell had been designed to ignore the four but the soldier's magic armor had saved them as well. The slime fell to the ground dead. Ron quickly ran at the wounded soldier. The man was still staggering from Alice's spell which allowed Ron to land a terrific blow to his head. The man fell to the ground dead.

Thomas took out his sword and ran at one of the soldiers Suzanne had been fighting. He opened with a shield bash and managed to put the man on his back. The man yelled in pain as the poisonous swamp engulfed him and that provided the distraction Thomas needed. He finished the soldier quickly. Next to Thomas, Suzanne had just finished destroying her foe's sword arm again. Soon after that, Suzanne destroyed her foe.

The four took little time to relax after their fight was over. "They knew we were here," said Suzanne. "We need to return to the king, quickly."

* * *

Samanao Castle was on full alert, even more so than usual. For the past few years the soldiers had always been told to be alert at all times for suspicious activity. If they saw a person who even looked like he was thinking angry thoughts against the king they were told to arrest that person. Because of this, most people made sure to steer clear of the castle; it was a good way to get arrested and getting arrested was a good way to get executed.

But the Castle seemed to be on higher alert than usual this night. There were more guards on duty at all visible stations. These days, it was very dangerous to spread any rumors about the castle or the king but there were so many rumors floating about that the people could not help themselves. The most recent gossip said that a small collection of people had managed to escape the castle recently, an uncommon event as most prisoners were executed long before they could even think of an escape plan. Increased activity around the castle town, including search parties, seemed to confirm that suspicion. The people believed the soldiers were looking for the escapees.

Suddenly, a yell broke the air, "Fire! Fire in the throne room!"

Having been ordered to investigate any disturbance en masse, a large group of soldiers left their posts to investigate the throne room. The paintings in the room had been set ablaze.

"Heads will roll if His Majesty's paintings aren't saved!" yelled one of the soldiers, likely a commander. "What are you waiting for? Fetch water! And search for the villain who did this!"

The calm, collected demeanor of the soldiers had been broken. The king had not trained his men very well. Chaos erupted among the soldiers. Water was spilt and the search was unorganized. Areas meant to be guarded at all times were left unwatched. All this happened in a desperate bid to save the paintings and find the culprit.

Nobody paid any attention to the cat that left the throne room soon after the fire had been started.

* * *

The chaos of the burning paintings allowed the four, the king-like man, and Matthew to sneak onto the roof of the castle with two captives in tow. One captive was the captain of the castle guard, taken during the chaos. The king-like man had identified the captain as an honorable man who must have been deceived by the imposter's enchanting women. The other captive was a man on the higher levels of the rebellion. The large group managed to sneak into quarters meant for the king.

The captives were sat down in front of the king's bed, upon which lied the man who had been sitting on the throne every day for the past few years. The kingly man with the tattered robes stood next to the bed. Matthew stood by the captives. Suzanne put on the animal suit the four had found in the cave, which turned her into a cat. Ron, Thomas, and Alice stood next to her.

It was Ron who spoke, making sure to whisper to avoid disturbing the man laying upon the bed or alerting any of the guards still scrambling downstairs, "We apologize for the rough treatment we have given you gentlemen, but we needed witnesses for what is about to happen. For I declare that this man lying upon the bed, who has been ruling this nation for the last few years, is really an imposter. The man standing next to the bed in the tattered robes is the true king, King Crayton the Fourth."

The general struggled against his bonds and tried to yell through the gag that had been placed in his mouth. He was clearly not convinced. The rebel looked with suspicion at Ron.

Ron drew forth the Mirror the four had found in the cave. They had already tested the Mirror with the animal suit. The mirror had shown the image of Suzanne even while she wore the suit and appeared to be a cat. Now Ron demonstrated for the two captive witnesses.

"You have seen my friend transform before your very eyes so you know her true form," declared Ron. "But in this mirror you see not the cat she transformed into but her true form. Now you must know that this is the Mirror of Ra."

"We apologize for disrespecting your customs, but we had no other choice. We had to use the Mirror to put the true king back on the throne," explained Ron. "Now, without further ado, let us see the true forms of these two men."

Ron held the mirror so that all assembled could see the reflections of the two kingly men inside it. The man in the tattered robes appeared unchanged in the Mirror. The man sleeping upon the bed looked like a huge, grotesque, humanoid monster with green skin. The two witnesses could be heard gasping, even through their gags, where they sat. Their eyes showed a look of utter disbelief.

Then a shrill voice pierced the air, "Wake up you idiot! They've revealed your true form!"

The voice came from the diminutive form of Alex, the man who had betrayed the four when they had first came to the castle town. Upon seeing him Alice immediately drew her sword and made to attack Alex. Alex ran away squealing.

"Assassins!" yelled Alex. "They're trying to assassinate the king!"

Meanwhile, the imposter had woken up and crawled out of bed. His eyes no longer had pupils and now appeared as nothing more than solid yellow.

"You've seen my true form!" said the imposter. Before the eyes of all assembled, he suddenly ballooned up to ten times his size. His skin had turned green and somehow a giant club had appeared in the monster's hand.

"None of you can be allowed to live! I've waited so long to tear apart humans again!" cackled the beast.

"King Crayton! Matthew!" called Suzanne. "Get our two guests out of here! Leave this to us!"

King Crayton and Matthew pulled out a couple knives and quickly cut the bonds on the two captives. The troll moved towards them, trying to kill the king before he could escape but was soon met with Alice's blade sinking into its leg. The wound Alice left was little more than a scratch to the huge monster but the troll yelped in pain anyway. The troll could not believe this tiny thing would dare hurt it. It was not about to let this miserable little human go unpunished.

In her attempt to distract the troll from King Crayton, Matthew, and the captives Alice had put all her strength into driving her blade into the troll's flesh. This left her unable to dodge the troll's attack. The troll swung its club in a great arc down at Alice. Alice was only able to back up a step before it hit her, avoiding the middle of the club. But being hit by the side of such a giant weapon still caused incredible damage. The club crushed Alice's armor and sent her flying into one of the stone walls. Her bloodied and broken body felt limply to the ground.

"We'll keep the troll busy, Tom! Save Alice!" yelled Suzanne as she and Ron rushed the troll. Thomas wanted to stop them, having seen what the creature had done to Alice when she attacked it. But Thomas trusted Suzanne's judgment and ran over to where Alice had fallen.

Ron plunged his blade into the same spot Alice had struck. The wound Alice had caused had almost closed up completely; the troll had regenerative abilities. The troll cackled as it prepared to smash Ron in a similar manner. Its club arm was then hit by a bolt of lightning, conjured up by Suzanne. The troll halted its attack and howled in pain.

Thomas cast a spell on Alice as she was fading away fast. A beam of light came into the room down towards Alice. However, the beam of light stopped short of Alice's body and then returned into the ceiling in which it came with no effect on her.

"Damn it!" swore Thomas. The spell he had attempted to cast was a very powerful, and very complicated, healing spell. He had made a mistake in its casting which had caused it to fail.

The troll finally managed to lay its club upon Ron. However, Suzanne's spell had allowed Ron to adopt a defensive position in preparation for the attack. He tried to jump backwards but the club was so large that it was still able to hit him. Ron was sent sprawling to the ground but was quickly able to get back up. The wound caused by Alice and Ron was once again almost gone and Ron knew he could not keep hitting the same spot. He ran back up to the creature and made a jumping slash to its knee. The wound still should not have been too serious but the troll once again demonstrated its intolerance of pain by staggering. This allowed Suzanne to make a jumping slash to the back of the same knee, making the troll stagger further.

Thomas calmed himself down and attempted his spell again. Once again, a beam of light came down from the ceiling towards Alice. Once again, the spell failed to reach Alice and disappeared without restoring her. Thomas swore a more vicious oath this time. Alice did not have much time left.

Suzanne and Ron were now meeting with more success. Although the troll's wounds were still closing themselves the troll still felt enough pain in its knee to limp. This caused its next attack to come slower and with less force. Ron was almost able to get out of the club's way and the attack, though still painful, was only able to spin him around this time rather than send him to the ground. He and Suzanne renewed their efforts on the creature's legs, this time focusing on the other leg. If they could damage its legs enough they might be able to get it to fall down, reducing its advantage immensely.

For the third time, Thomas cast his healing spell upon Alice. For the third time, a beam of light came down from the ceiling towards Alice. For the first time, the beam managed to reach all the way to the ground and Alice's broken body was mended considerably. Though she still did not look well, her blood no longer flowed upon the ground and she was able to shakily get back to her feet.

"Third time's the charm," muttered Thomas with a smirk.

Noticing that Alice was back on her feet, Suzanne called out to her, "Alice! Ron and I need your magic to hurt this thing!"

Unable to watch for Alice's response, Suzanne did not see the blank stare that Alice gave her. Her mind was still catching up to the action. While Suzanne and Ron still tried to take out the troll's knees, and with both being sent into a nearby wall by a vicious club attack, Thomas cast another healing spell upon Alice. She had now gone from near death to almost perfect health in about fifteen seconds.

Alice was then able to return to her senses. She cast a spell upon Ron and he was engulfed in crimson light. His strength was no enhanced and his next strike to the troll's knee cut deep into its thick skin, which was now little deterrent to Ron's blade. The creature fell over, though it managed to swipe Ron with its arm as it fell. They were both in bad shape now.

However, Ron had healers on his side. Thomas cast a healing spell upon Ron, allowing him to get back onto his feet and charge back to the troll. While that happened, Alice finished another spell and enhanced Suzanne's strength. And with the troll now on the ground, Suzanne and Ron were at an advantage now. Ron cut into the monster's midsection, looking for its heart, while Suzanne jumped on top of the troll's side and cut into its arm. It had tried to swat at Suzanne but her blade rendered its arm useless. The arm fell down limply.

Finally, Suzanne and Ron worked their way to the troll's head. The troll was unable to get the two off of it, allowing them to slice and dice into the creature's skull, soon rendering the troll limp and lifeless. As they had with the Orochi, the two made sure to inflict a good amount of overkill on the beast to be certain that it was dead and ensure that the troll could not heal itself back into fighting shape. The troll's body fell disgustingly unto its back, the king's bedroom now almost covered in a pool of green blood.

The imposter was dead. When the creature rolled over, the four noticed a peculiar staff sitting just underneath the troll's arm.

* * *

Author's Note: Oh, Vivify, or Zing as it's called now. How I hate using that spell. I believe it's supposed to have a 1/2 success rate but for me it seems closer to 1/3. But I do tend to be pessimistic about this sort of thing.

On another note, I plan on re-uploading the previous chapters today to finally re-insert my line breaks as well as any little corrections that I've made anytime I look at or reference the previous chapters.


	26. Chapter 25: Loved Ones

Disclaimer:Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 25: Loved Ones

The four had seen and participated in the toppling of several regimes throughout the duration of their quest but the overthrowing of the troll pretending to be King Crayton would take more than the troll's defeat. The two witnesses spread the tale of the battle against the fake King Crayton throughout the kingdom and the true King Crayton publicly displayed himself and the body of the troll in the Mirror of Ra several times. But some refused to believe these displays. This led to the ironic situation of many of the castle soldiers and many of the rebellion teaming up to form a new rebellion; though the new rebellion considered themselves the true servants of Samanao and considered the true King Crayton an usurper.

Fortunately, the majority of the people respected the Mirror of Ra enough to believe in the true king. King Crayton was able to sit upon his throne for the first time in years. The group of people who thought he had stolen the throne was small compared to those that now stood by him. The new rebellion was driven from the capital into the countryside. The king had intended to leave them alone but the rebels had turned to guerilla warfare against the forces of Samanao. It was with a heavy heart that the king ordered his men to pursue the rebels.

"All this because of my mistakes," King Crayton lamented. "But now I must fix my mistakes."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Suzanne asked.

"You can continue your quest," the king answered. "As far as Samanao is concerned that is the best thing you can do for us. As for my dissenters, that is a problem that will take some time to solve and that we, as a people, will have to solve for ourselves. And now I have found out first hand how dangerous the Archfiend is, even without using an army of monsters."

"On that note, I have prepared a collection of messages to be given to the rulers of Romaly, Isis, Eginbear, and Portoga. It will let them know about most of our situation. I am afraid I could not mention you in the messages for Eginbear and Portoga. Politically, I did not think it would be wise; in fact, I think it could hurt our cause."

"Why's that?" asked Ron.

"No doubt the citizens of Samanao aren't the only ones that will find this tale hard to swallow," Suzanne guessed. "King Saldor of Portoga will be especially suspicious if he hears of our involvement. When we met him, he suspected us of being agents of the empire and if he hears of our part in this affair he may think the empire has set up a puppet ruler in Samanao. His mistrust in the empire is that great."

"You are correct," said the king. "I remember King Saldor. If he thinks that I am a puppet put here by the empire he will not take it lightly. He would likely consider it an aggressive act; the Romalian Empire building up their power before they invade Portoga. The two nations have had a strained relationship ever since the Second Great War. And with your talk of uniting the nations, as Desmond did, he will believe that his greatest nightmare is coming true again. Samanao will have enough to do to recover from our recent turmoil; we would not be able to defend ourselves if King Saldor thinks it necessary to get rid of the empire's puppet government."

"That'd be terrible!" exclaimed Alice. "You don't think he'd really invade Samanao do you?"

"Do not be so quick to judge King Saldor," said His Majesty. "He only wishes to protect his land. The number of parallels between recent events and the Second Great War would be understandably frightening for him."

"Nevertheless, your names and deeds are proudly recorded in the messages for the empire and Isis," continued King Crayton, changing the subject. "In addition, I will pledge the support of Samanao to the cause of fighting the Archfiend. When the time comes, Samanao will stand together with Romaly and Isis. Though you must understand, we are capable of giving little support at the moment. I fear the imposter has done enough damage."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," came a voice from the back of the throne room. "We'll restore Samanao to its former glory in no time."

Matthew had just walked into the throne room. For the first time since the four had met him, Matthew was no longer wearing his light armor but a noble looking robe. King Crayton had appointed Matthew to be an advisor. Matthew would prove invaluable in dealing with the former members of the rebellion. Besides that, Matthew had proven he was a man the king could trust and with his missing arm this would allow him to serve his country without fighting. Lastly, the king still had not fully recovered from all the torment he had suffered while imprisoned by the troll and Matthew was familiar with the episodes the king could go into.

Nevertheless, the role would take some getting used to. Even walking in the bulky robe appeared to give Matthew some discomfort. He also was getting used to only having one arm; he walked into the room carrying two swords and scabbards.

"I came to see the lot of you off," said Matthew. Ron quickly relieved him of his burden, looking at Matthew to see where he wanted the swords. "They're for you: a gift for all you've done. They're called dragon killers. They're very powerful and, as you would guess, effective against dragons. History tells us the mountains around our nation were once a home to the beasts. The knowledge of how to make these weapons has been passed down throughout Samanaon history."

"Thank you," said Suzanne. "We will use them well."

"That reminds me, I have a gift for you as well," said the king. He brought forward the strange staff that had been found on the troll's body after it had been defeated.

"I have had the scholars look at it and they agree this is called the Staff of Change," explained King Crayton. "It is what that demon used to assume my form so perfectly. I want you four to take care of it. Make sure it never falls into the wrong hands ever again."

"You have our word that will never happen," said Suzanne, accepting the gift.

"I would ask a favor of you, before you go," said Matthew. "If you find Simon, dead or alive, could you get word to me immediately? Only if it's not an inconvenience, of course."

"It would be no problem," replied Suzanne. "Now that the seal on Samanao is gone we'll be able to teleport to and from here at will. If I may ask, why are you interested in Simon's fate?"

"He is my father," answered Matthew.

* * *

Having no leads on the remaining two orbs and wanting to find Simon for Matthew the group decided to look for the Shrine Jail, where Simon was sent by the imposter. King Crayton and Matthew gave the group maps which pinpointed the Shrine Jail's exact location in the Narls Sea. The _Mad Hound_ was teleported near Noaniels. From there, it was a four day trip to get to the Naxly Sea, the body of water just east of the Narls which was connected by a river.

On the third day of the trip they came to the river that led from the open ocean through land, forming part of the border between the Zilcof and Dalmath continents. This portion of the Dalmath continent was literally covered by a humongous forest called the Forest of the World Tree. The forest was named for the fact it was rumored to house the World Tree; a tree whose leaves were said to have wondrous healing abilities. The forest was a mysterious place and filled with monsters so it had resisted habitation by humans.

Which made it all the more curious when the crew of the _Mad Hound_ spotted a house not far inland. The house was just outside of the forest. Suzanne wondered who would be living in a place like this and so she and the other three decided to take a quick detour and visit the house.

Once the four came near the house they found that it was of remarkable construction. It was made out of the finest of wood and shaped in such a way that it seemed to sprout forth from the ground itself. Looking at the house and comparing it to the nearby forest it was clear that wood used had come from the forest. However, looking at the house and its natural looking shapes gave the observer the impression that no trees had been cut down to build it.

Out of the house came a man of very short stature. The four quickly realized he was a dwarf. The dwarf was wearing heavy armor and was carrying a hammer even bigger than he was.

"Be gone with you!" shouted the dwarf in a very deep voice. "Don't think I can't reach your faces with this hammer here!"

Suzanne held up her hands. "We mean you no harm, sir. We were just wondering who was living so close to the Forest of the World Tree."

The dwarf opened his mouth to yell again but then promptly shut it. It was tough to see due to the dwarf's full facial hair covering his face but he appeared shocked at what Suzanne said. The four looked at the dwarf with confusion.

"That voice…" muttered the dwarf, barely audible. "What is your name?"

As Suzanne came near the dwarf it was now her that showed surprise on her face. She quickly composed herself and answered, "I am Suzanne of Aliahan, daughter of Ortega. And you are Gerule, the man who brought us news of his fate."

"My goodness, Suzanne, what brings you out here?" asked Gerule. "Why are you and your friends armed and armored like this?"

"We have taken up the journey where my father left off," answered Suzanne.

"No!" said Gerule, horrified. "You cannot go on our journey. Ortega's spirit would never rest, knowing his little girl is putting herself in danger."

"I have to disagree, Gerule," replied Suzanne. "We have met with a lot of progress in our quest. I believe my father would be proud."

"No!" yelled Gerule again. "You have no idea what you're getting into! You have no idea the horrors that are out there!"

"With all due respect, we do," returned Suzanne calmly. "We have fought terrible monsters and witnessed terrible things. But we have also seen the good out there. And we have begun to get the different nations to cooperate. The Romalian Empire and Isis have formed an alliance and are even now preparing to deal with the Archfiend. And just recently, Samanao has come out of isolation and has pledged their support to the cause."

Gerule once again wore the face of shock. "Samanao has come out of isolation? How in the world did you manage that?"

"It's a long story," said Suzanne. "Why don't we go inside and take a moment to catch up?"

* * *

"Incredible," commented Gerule, when the four had finished their story. "Indeed, you have met with much more success than we ever did. To think that you liberated Samanao and got them to join the alliance…"

But then Gerule became stern once again. "But you must stop this now. There are still more terrible things out there. You must not continue, as we did. You would inevitably be taken into the Necrogond. You would meet the same fate as your father and our comrades." The thought of his lost friends clearly gave Gerule a lot of grief.

"What happened up there?" asked Suzanne softly. "Up in the Necrogond. I never heard the whole story."

"I wouldn't want to give you pain. Know only that your father fought bravely to the last," answered Gerule.

"Please, Gerule. I can handle it," said Suzanne.

Gerule gave a large sigh. "Very well. We went into the Necrogond to perform reconnaissance on the Archfiend and his forces. Maybe we could even catch a glimpse of the bastard. The going was tough from the get go. The monsters would've been bad enough but just getting through the mountains was an impossible challenge."

"One day, we were beset upon by a host of monsters. The battle was fierce and we never found good ground to stand on. It was all we could do to keep from falling down. We used this to our advantage too, pushing monsters down the mountain. But many of our foes could fly. It felt like hours."

"Eventually we caught a break, but it didn't last long. Before we could find shelter we were attacked by a large green dragon and some other monsters. Irineas, one of our comrades and an elven wizard, identified the dragon as Xlysinil, the Dark Sky Guardian said to have served the Master Archfiend in the First Great War."

"Wait, that's the name from the elves' song from Liamland!" exclaimed Alice. "The one they said killed the god-bird!"

"It would not surprise me," said Gerule. "He was a terrible beast. With him fighting us, we were now at a serious disadvantage. And he was a skilled flier; we could not hope to escape. Ortega was sent down the mountain first; one of Xlysinil's minions cast a spell and when Ortega tried to avoid it he lost his footing. Then Xlysinil let out a burst of flame that sent me down the mountainside. I was separated from Ortega, Sarina, and Irineas."

"I lost consciousness for a time," continued Gerule. "I don't know how long I was out. I was amazed to even wake up. There were no monsters around me. I hurried up the mountain after my friends."

"I came across Sarina and Irineas first," said Gerule. His voice was barely audible now and his face had lost all its color. "They were already dead. What was worst, there were monsters all around them. The demons were feasting on them right there."

Now Gerule was filled with such rage, the four were almost afraid he would snap and attack them. "I ended the foul beasts right there to stop their desecration of my friends' bodies. It was then I heard a commotion further up the mountain. I could see Ortega fighting Xlysinil all by himself."

Gerule's anger was now replaced with admiration. "I always knew he was a skilled fighter, a master with both the sword and with magic. But I had never seen him like this. To think that he fought and defeated that dragon in single combat is incredible."

Then Gerule turned solemn again. "I rushed up the mountain to help him but I was too late. When I saw him deal the killing blow to Xlysinil, I slowed my pace. Thinking the threat done with, my adrenaline stopped fueling me and I felt the ache of my wounds and my exhaustion catch up with me. It appeared the same happened to Ortega. We both thought the creature to no longer be a threat but with its last breath it threw its body against Ortega, sending them both into the mouth of the volcano."

"My energy returned to me and I rushed after Ortega. The heat was so incredible, it was all I could do just to look into the volcano. I saw nothing but lava and a few glimpses of Xlysinil's body, set aflame. At least the beast was destroyed too."

There was silence for a long time. Finally, Suzanne spoke, "Thank you Gerule. I know that must have been hard for you. But now I know the true significance of my father's last moments. He destroyed the terrible Xlysinil who slew the god-bird. He died a true hero."

"And I will continue his journey," continued Suzanne. "I realize we will face even greater dangers and horrors than we have seen yet. But my father went on this journey because he knew we could not just stand by. He believed in making an effort for the greater good and as his daughter, I too believe in that. I will continue his journey."

"Come with us," said Suzanne. "We could use your help. And you could put my father's spirit at ease; he would know that his daughter is being watched over by a friend."

"I almost wish I could," replied Gerule. "But I can't. The fight wouldn't be in me anyhow. I have no hope left, child. A man with no hope would only be a deterrent to your cause. And I made a promise to Irineas and Sarina. Irineas was the last in a line of elves that had sworn to protect this forest. Sarina had happened upon him by chance and the two had fallen in love. I promised them that if something happened to them I would protect this forest in their place. This is their house."

Gerule then went over to a drawer and pulled out a leaf. Never had the four thought they would see a single leaf that looked so majestic, so incredible. The leaf literally glowed with an incredible power.

"A leaf of the World Tree," gasped Thomas in awe. "The greatest of healing plants. This leaf has the power to bring a person back from the very brink of death."

"You're correct, Thomas," said Gerule. "This is all I can do for you now. Take it, and be safe."

* * *

The four left Gerule and continued towards the Shrine Jail. The next two days saw sunny skies as the _Mad Hound_ worked its way into and then through the Laxly Sea.

"We're finally going to meet Simon!" exclaimed Alice excitedly. "I hope Mathias was right and that Simon has the Sword of Gaia. I would love to see that thing in action!"

"Don't be too hasty," cautioned Thomas. "Do you remember that tale we heard from the bard, Sonny? The Shrine Jail is right in the middle of the Narls. And if his tale is correct, there's no way we'll even get into the Narls."

"Well of course I remember, Tom!" said Alice, undeterred. "But I have faith in Captain Marbeley and his crew. They haven't failed us yet!"

"I too have the utmost confidence in the captain and the crew but I don't think great sailing skills are going to get by a curse," protested Thomas.

The two continued to discuss the matter while Suzanne and Ron looked on.

"She's awfully cheerful today," observed Ron. "Usually when we try to argue with her she'd be yelling her head off at us by now. Remember how we argued about the existence of ice dragons again yesterday? You'd think I insulted her honor or something!"

"She's been patient with Tom in general recently," said Suzanne. "I think she's being thankful for his saving her life against the troll."

"Now that's just unfair," replied Ron. "We kept the thing away from the two of them while Tom worked his magic. We saved her just as much as he did."

"You don't think Tom deserves some credit?" asked Suzanne.

"Oh, no, no, that's not what I meant!" said Ron hastily. "There's no way I could've done what he did. He definitely saved her life. But we played our part too. I'm just saying that instead of just not yelling at Tom she should not be yelling at us too."

Suzanne could not help but laugh at Ron's comments. "Oh but that would take away from team morale. The crew was even placing bets on how long you and Alice would argue about ice dragons yesterday."

"Really?" asked Ron, brightening up. "I wish you'd have told me! I'd have loved to get in on that!"

"Speaking of morale," said Ron, now serious. "Are you alright, Susie? I know our visit with Gerule brought up a lot of memories."

"I'm fine," replied Suzanne. "Really, I am glad we ran into Gerule. Now I know what happened in my father's final moments. And even though those moments were horrible, I know he achieved victory even in death. Because of him, we will not need to worry about Xlysinil. And as the daughter of the man who slew that beast, I am proud to continue on in his name."

"And now we're searching for Simon, Matthew's father," continued Suzanne. "In many ways, Matthew has had a much tougher time than me. Both he and his father were denounced as enemies of their nation. He doesn't know if his father is dead or alive and he has a terrible wound that will hinder him his entire life. Yet he still does all he can to make a difference. We can all draw inspiration from people like him."

Suddenly a large wailing noise startled the group. The _Mad Hound _had entered the river between the Narls and the Naxly while they were talking. The four looked around for the source but the noise seemed to be coming from all around them. The crew of the _Mad Hound_ had also been surprised by the noise and stopped their work to figure out what was going on.

Then a cloud blotted out the sun. All on board quickly realized this to be an ill omen as there had not been a cloud in the sky all day. Captain Marbeley was the first to recover his senses as he began giving orders to his crew to prepare the ship for whatever may come.

After a few more moments the noise was identified as a woman's voice. Nobody on board could understand what the woman was saying but she seemed to be crying out in extreme sorrow. Then the ship began being pushed backwards. Captain Marbeley ordered anchors to be dropped but almost as though the world was now working against the _Mad Hound_ any anchor that was dropped into the ocean was somehow unsecured and would fall off the ship entirely, no longer tied down.

For many tense moments the crew and the four could do nothing but brace themselves for whatever doom the voice had in store for them. But almost as suddenly as the commotion had began it stopped. The _Mad Hound_ found itself back in the Naxly without a scratch. The crew was confused by the sudden change and looked to Captain Marbeley for orders. The captain walked over to the four.

"I've not seen waters like these in all my years on the sea," said the captain. "Mind you, I've set sail in some rough seas. But I've never come across a storm that lasts only minutes and politely sets a ship backwards without a scratch. I take it this was that curse you were talking about?"

"It must've been," answered Suzanne. "Which would mean that woman's voice we heard was Olivia's."

Alice turned to Thomas. "I guess you were right. _This_ time."

* * *

"So let me see if I follow this chain of events," said Ron. "We want to go to the Shrine Jail to find Simon. The Shrine Jail is in the middle of the Narls Sea. The Narls Sea is haunted by the spirit of Olivia who keeps us from getting to the Shrine Jail. Sonny told us that Olivia's love, Errol, was taken by a pirate ship that now travels the seas as a phantom ship. We believe this phantom ship is the same ship that Celia and her pirate group once happened upon and that Errol's spirit, if it is on the ship, is the key to breaking Olivia's hold on the Narls. The key to finding this phantom ship is with the thigh bone of one of its crew, which was given to the wizard Zlistan who lives in Greenlad. Zlistan will trade us the thigh bone if we give him the Staff of Change."

"Sounds about right," agreed Suzanne.

"Now, Tom," said Ron, turning to Thomas. "I know you have your own little list cooked up to address this one."

"I had thought everybody was tired of hearing my pessimistic grumblings," replied Thomas. "Especially since, as I have to admit, I've often been wrong."

"Just indulge me," said Ron.

"Very well," began Thomas. "Simon is probably dead, we are only guessing that Errol's spirit can calm Olivia's, and we're only guessing that Errol is on this phantom ship."

"Thanks, Tom," said Ron. "Now I'm not saying I don't think all of this is going to work but you guys have to admit this is one of the most zig-zaggy, complicated leads we've had on this quest."

"Oh I don't know," disagreed Alice. "Remember what we had to do for the Final Key? We heard about it in Tedanki, went to Lancel for more information and for the Invisibility Herbs to help us sneak into Eginbear, where we found the Vase of Drought. Then we found out where to use the Vase from a talking horse in the Soo village and had to search in the middle of the ocean before finally finding it."

"You have a point," conceded Ron.

The four had teleported to Eginbear which was the closest to Greenlad. Since they were in the area, they decided to pay Bill and Polce a visit and see how their town was doing. It was a three day trip from Eginbear to the new town. The path through the forest that the group had found last time had now been upgraded to a full road. At the beginning of the road there was a large house at which several guards were stationed. Some of the guards offered to escort the four through the forest but they turned down the offer.

The town had grown quite a bit since the last time the four had visited, three months ago. It seemed like an impossible transformation. The theater Bill had been overseeing the construction of was already finished with several shows and attractions advertised. A few extra shops had been added and the town now had an established business district. The town had been named Billville, likely in thanks to the man who had helped it grow so much.

There were many people out and about on this day. None of them were heading for the theater or seemed to be using their time for entertainment. All of them were either working or going off in a rush, likely to get to their place of business.

The four asked around for Bill and were met with surprising disdain in a number of places. Nevertheless, after asking a few people they were pointed to a large building, one that had not been standing on their previous visit. The building was the most decorated structure in the town, even more so than the theater. One of the townspeople identified it as the town hall, though she had said so with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Inside the town hall Bill sat upon a throne with a luxurious red carpet leading up to it. Though his room did not have quite the level of decoration and wealth as a king's he certainly gave off the impression that he was acting as a ruler.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise!" greeted Bill. "I formally welcome you to Billsville, now that our settlement actually has a name. What brings the four of you here?"

"We have business in this area of the world so we thought we'd pay you a visit," answered Suzanne. "I have to say, I'm impressed with how far this place has come along. I can't believe how much progress this town has made in the last few months alone!"

"Ah yes, we're all very proud of the achievements we've made," said a beaming Bill. "Everyone knows the value of hard work here. And I've heard a thing or two about your achievements. In the past couple days the town has been abuzz with rumors of Samanao coming back to the rest of the world, helped along by a courageous quartet of warriors. That wouldn't happen to be you four, would it?"

"We may have had a hand in it," said Ron, also beaming.

"Well I thank you for that," said Bill. "Now I can send my recruits to Samanao. This opens up a lot of different possibilities. A new variety of people could settle here. And if rumors of the terrible life in Samanao are true, we should have no trouble getting people to move from there."

"Can you only think about yourself?" asked Thomas with disgust. "These people are trying to recover from a terrible regime and all you can think about is what they can bring to your operation?"

"I'm sorry, Tom, I misspoke," answered Bill hastily. "Of course I empathize with what the Samanaons have gone through. That is why it would be so great for them to come here. I would think many of them have had enough conflict in their native land, conflict which doesn't exist here. I think many Samanaons could have a better life here."

"That does bring up something troubling I've noticed in our stroll over here," began Suzanne. "Why is everyone in such a rush around here? Everyone seems to be working at a frenzied pace and we've noticed a lot of unhappiness just walking here. To be specific, a lot of this unhappiness seems directed at you."

"Well like I said, everyone knows it takes hard work to make this place succeed," Bill explained. "But just because a person knows this doesn't always mean he or she is happy with it. I've taken it upon myself to keep the people busy; to keep the town growing. Many think that we've come far enough that we can sit down for a bit and relax but I know better. We're one of the few settlements on this side of the world and as far as most of civilization is concerned, we're out in the middle of nowhere. If we sit down for a moment then the rest of the world will quickly forget about us. And since we are so isolated that would quickly mean the end of this town. We need to continue to work hard to keep this from happening."

"With all this talk of hard work, what are you doing to help this town besides boss everyone around from your throne?" asked Thomas accusingly. "You have the town named after you and this nice luxurious room to lounge around in. Where's your hard work?"

"Tom, I'm shocked at your attitude towards me!" said Bill, hurt by Thomas' comments. "I'm doing for this town what I had done for you guys! I handle the finances, the business decisions! I'm brining money into this town and keeping it from losing all of it. I'm handling our relationships with the rest of the world, engaging in trade. And with Samanao coming out of isolation, my role will be even more important in the days to come. I may not be handling the physical labor but I promise you I am putting every effort I can into this town!"

"Tom, perhaps you should take a step outside," suggested Suzanne. Thomas put up no argument and seemed glad to remove himself from Bill's presence.

"Tom does bring up a good point," said Suzanne, turning back to Bill. "Make sure you always have the best of these people in your mind, Bill. The line between leadership and tyranny can sometimes be difficult to see."

"I appreciate your concern, Susie," thanked Bill. "And on that note, I do have some paperwork to look over. But before you leave, there's a fellow at the inn you may want to talk to. When he found out that I knew you four he seemed quite interested in talking to you. I had meant to send a message to you but I didn't know where you were and I was too busy to try and track you down. Also, please visit our shops and buy some of our quality goods before you leave."

"Alright, I'll go talk to the man at the inn," said Suzanne.

"I'll hit up the shops," declared Ron with a grin. "Anything to support this budding community."

"And I'll babysit Ron to make sure he doesn't blow all our money," said Alice with a sigh. "Though I could've sworn it was Tom's turn."

"You're babysitting me?" asked Ron with a laugh. "I'm not the one that wanted to pay a large sum for that dress in Samanao!"

"Hey, that dress had magic in it!" protested Alice. "It probably could've protected me better than my armor!"

"Only if the monsters are easily distracted by shining things," said Ron.

* * *

Suzanne went to the inn looking for the man Bill had referred her to. The innkeeper directed her to one of the rooms. Suzanne knocked on the door and was admittedly told to enter. Inside the room was a middle-aged man who looked like he had seen his share of battle; his body was covered in scars. He wore green furs and his face was much paler from the rest of his skin; as though he typically wore something over it whenever he was outdoors. Suzanne was reminded of the cannibals that the group had encountered in southern Tarasia.

"You are one of the four searching for the orbs?" asked the man, not wasting a lot of time.

"I am," confirmed Suzanne.

"I am from one of the tribes that used to take residence in southern Tarasia," said the man, confirming what Suzanne had been thinking. "As you may know, the Archfiend's forces have forced many of us from our homes. Those that remain may as well be monsters; they hunt humans for food and serve the Archfiend."

"We had the misfortune of encountering such people in our travels," replied Suzanne. "I must admit that you remind me of them."

"You refer to my manner of dress?" asked the man. "It is common for the people of our land. Or was common, as things are now. Do not compare me with those disgusting things. They are as responsible for the exile and deaths of my people as the Archfiend."

"I'm sorry," apologized Suzanne. "Why did you want to speak with us?"

"I want revenge against the Archfiend and against those vile cannibals," explained the man. "I myself have traveled far and wide and talked with many people. When I heard that a group of people was searching for the orbs I decided that I should help them. I don't know what the orbs do but I do know they are objects of incredible power."

"A year ago, I returned to my former home. There I found that my people were not the only tribe not to give in to the Archfiend," continued the man. "Rumor has it that this tribe has been tasked with protecting the silver orb. A line of guardians have been given this task. They are said to protect the orb from within a shrine that lies in the Necrogond Mountains. The people I talked to expressed their belief that the Archfiend had not found the shrine, for they say it is well hidden."

"Inside the Necrogond?" echoed Suzanne. "That's in the heart of the Archfiend's land. How would they have survived this long?"

"I can't say for sure that they have," admitted the man. "But I know the people of this tribe. They have always been attuned to the magical arts. A man I talked to gave me a piece of advice he said was vital to locating the shrine. He said it was a secret known only by his tribe and those they saw as friends. 'When the moon is full, the lake will show the way.' I don't know exactly what it means but it must be the key to finding the shrine. Not knowing this must be why the Archfiend hasn't found them yet, or so they say."

"Thank you. Do you have any idea where to begin looking for the shrine?" asked Suzanne.

"I can show you where this tribe used to live, before the monsters became too fierce for even them to stay," said the man.

Suzanne went to get a map for the man to mark. As she did so she could not help but remember the warning Gerule had given her. Though she believed that her and her companions would indeed one day have to travel into the Necrogond, where her father had met his end, it now seemed that day was fast approaching.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, I actually managed an update during the semester.


	27. Chapter 26: Ghosts of All Kinds

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 26: Ghosts of All Kinds

"What do you intend to use the Staff for?" asked Suzanne.

"What? Oh, for magical research, of course," answered Zlistan.

"You're hiding something," said Suzanne. "What else are you going to use the Staff for?"

"Well does it matter? You came here for a trade, didn't you?" asked Zlistan, visibly distraught that Suzanne was able to figure out he was hiding something.

"I'm afraid it does matter," replied Suzanne. "You see, we made a promise that this Staff wouldn't fall into the hands of evil. We have to make sure your intentions with this staff will not cause harm."

Zlistan sighed. "Well, if you must know, I caused a bit of a ruckus in the Romaly monster arena. They decided I was kicked out for life. But really, that was over 20 years ago! I'm not as rambunctious as I used to be. So I want to use the Staff to get back into their monster arena. And then I'll use it for research. I wasn't lying when I said that."

"There's more than one monster arena out there," pointed out Alice. "Why not just frequent one of those?"

"They're not the same," protested Zlistan. "Have you ever been in the Romaly monster arena in a close match, one with near-equal odds for all combatants? The atmosphere in there is incredible."

"I have to side with Zlistan on this one," agreed Ron. "I've been in some of the other monster arenas and they don't measure up. On the other hand, the empire knows how to run a monster arena!"

"So that's why you want the Staff of Change so badly?" asked Suzanne incredulously. "You want to be able to go to the Romaly monster arena again?"

"I said that's not the only reason!" said Zlistan. "I really do want to conduct research with it. I just want to have a little fun before I get to work!"

* * *

After some more discussion the four eventually decided to go through with the trade. Although regaining admittance to a monster arena was not the most noble of intentions at the very least Zlistan would not be using the Staff for evil. The four made the trade for the sailor's thigh bone and left Greenlad.

Remembering what they had heard from the pirates about the bone's powers, the group returned to the _Mad Hound_ and put the bone to work. The bone gave no visible glow, leading them to believe they were far away from their target. Since the pirates had last seen the ship in the Batay Sea, the _Mad Hound_ teleported to Romaly in search of it.

The thigh bone was much more responsive in the Batay Sea. Upon arriving at Romaly the bone had a very visible glow to it and moved itself to point south. It moved so quickly that Thomas, who had been holding the bone, nearly dropped it. The _Mad Hound_ began its search by going south as the bone pointed.

As the _Mad Hound_ traveled south the bone's glow grew progressively brighter. That night, the bone could have served as a lantern should the crew have needed one. The next day, the _Mad Hound_ came across another ship. The ship was almost on the shores of Isis. The _Mad Hound_ drew close to the other ship and soon found that the other ship had suffered a great amount of damage.

The _Mad Hound_ approached the damaged ship cautiously. The ship made no indication that it even realized the _Mad Hound_ was near. It did not adjust its course nor display any flags. For its part, the _Mad Hound_ took every measure necessary to ensure the other ship that they meant no harm. The other ship did nothing but continue its present course, due east. The _Mad Hound_ pulled parallel to the other ship.

"That's definitely your phantom ship," said Captain Marbeley. "In all my years I've never seen a ship float with damage like that. How do you want to handle this?"

"If you can pull up alongside it, we'll board and investigate," answered Suzanne.

"Are you sure that's wise?" asked the captain. "That ship may be able to keep ghosts from drowning but how do you know it'll support the living?"

"Wow, are we hearing sensible words from the sea captain said to have lost his marbles?" asked Ron with a grin.

Captain Marbeley gave a good laugh at Ron's comment. "I just wouldn't want my favorite landlubbers to die needlessly. Taking risks at sea is my job, after all."

"We've had some experience with phantoms," said Suzanne. "And if worse comes to worse, we should be able to get ourselves out of there."

"Alright then. We'll make preparations for you to board," said the captain. "But be wary when you go below deck. See those holes at the bottom of the ship there? Monsters would be able to crawl right up through them."

"Thanks. We'll be careful," said Suzanne.

The four geared up and boarded the phantom ship. The deck was devoid of any sign of life or unlife. The group approached a cabin that was sitting in the middle of the deck. They opened the door and entered. Inside the cabin was a skeleton that appeared to be manning the ship's helm. The four prepared themselves for a fight but the skeleton made no indication to have noticed them, even though it was looking right at them.

The group slowly approached the skeleton. The skeleton continued to ignore the group, muttering and chuckling to itself while it did so.

"My ship is unsinkable!" declared the skeleton, chuckling as it did so. "No storm can faze me!"

"Sir, are you friend or foe?" asked Suzanne. The skeleton gave no response to Suzanne's question but continued to take mirth in the fortitude of its ship.

"This is weird," said Alice. "This isn't like Tedanki. He doesn't seem to realize we're here."

"And he keeps talking about some storm," said Ron, listening to the skeleton's mutterings.

"Those fool slaves," said the skeleton, continuing its rant. "Landlubbers, all of them. They don't know the sea. They don't know my ship. I'll sail right into any storm I want and if they don't like it, we'll see how they get along with the squishies."

"The way it's talking," said Ron. "I think it believes it's sailing into a storm right now."

"But it's been sunny all day. The waters are calm," pointed out Suzanne.

"Remember the people of Tedanki didn't realize they had died," said Thomas. "Perhaps this person is going through the moments that led to this ship's destruction. Sonny told us that Olivia thought Errol had died on the night of a terrible storm. Bodies and debris were found on shore."

"If that's the case then Errol's spirit should be here somewhere!" said Alice cheerfully.

"Even if that's the case, how do you propose we get his spirit to Olivia?" asked Thomas. "If he's even here, what's to say his spirit wouldn't just ignore us like this person here?"

"We'll worry about that if we find him," Suzanne cut in. "First we have to see if Errol's spirit is here."

The four left the cabin and proceeded to the stern of the ship. There were three cabins on this side of the ship. The group entered one of the cabins to find that it had an occupant. It was a small green humanoid with a pitchfork, wings, and a demon's tail.

The creature laughed when it saw the four. "More corpses for the phantom ship!" it cried.

Before the four could react the small demon exhaled a wave of icy breath. It clearly expected its attack to kill or incapacitate the group but it would be disappointed this time. Outnumbered four to one and stuck in a cabin with nowhere to fly to, the four quickly drew their weapons and slew the beast.

"That wasn't an aquatic monster," pointed out Ron. "I wonder what it was doing here."

"A ghost ship could be of service to the enemy," theorized Suzanne. "There may be monsters here trying to learn how to control this ship."

The group checked a second cabin and found that it contained a staircase going below deck. They decided to check the last cabin before descending. This cabin also had an occupant in it and the four were amazed to see this occupant was a living human. The occupant was a young man wearing heavy armor and carrying a sword and shield. The man was greatly alarmed when he saw the four enter and immediately moved to cut them down.

"Wait!" yelled Suzanne to the man. "We mean you no harm!"

The man looked shocked when he heard Suzanne speak to him and took a moment to inspect the group. So shocked was he that he actually put his sword and shield down to rub his eyes to make sure they were not deceiving him.

"You're… not ghosts?" asked the man.

"No, we're not," answered Suzanne. "My name is Suzanne and these are my comrades: Ron, Thomas, and Alice. What's your name?"

"I am Stryker," said the man. "Did you four get stuck on this ship looking for treasure too?"

"We're not looking for treasure," replied Suzanne. "And we're not stuck. We have a ship keeping course with this one waiting to pick us up."

"You do!" said Stryker in amazement. "What a relief! I've been stuck here for two days! It's been all I can do to stay alive!"

"How did you get here?" asked Suzanne.

"I come from northern Isis," answered Stryker. "I've been working with the men the empire sent to help us in the coming war with the Archfiend. One day, several of us saw this ship sailing not far from shore. It was sailing aimlessly, turning around for no reason and generally looking lost. At one point, it drew close to the shore. We could see the damage this thing had sustained and wondered if that had anything with the ship's strange navigation."

"After a while, rumors started to start up," continued Stryker. "Rumors that this was some sort of magic ship. Some of the sailors that saw it said that only magic could've kept this thing afloat with all the damage we could see. And if this is a magic ship, there's bound to be some treasure on it. So I snuck out of work and paddled over here. I entered the ship through a hole in the bottom. Then I ran afoul of the monsters. I barely made it up here. And this ship left my canoe behind."

"Why didn't the monsters follow you?" asked Suzanne.

Stryker shuddered as he answered, "They already had enough food. There are people below deck, un-living people. They don't seem to have any idea what's going on. They just go about their duty and don't react to anything. And plenty of them still have some meat on their bones. It's a free feast for the monsters."

"I don't buy it," said Thomas. "We had to do some work to find this ship. Another who found it once said they searched a long time to find it again and to no avail. We're to believe you just happened upon it and made it on board by chance?"

"It's the truth!" protested Stryker. "You have to believe me! You have to let me go on your ship!"

"Settle down," said Suzanne. Then she turned to Thomas. "We have little to lose by letting him on the _Mad Hound_. The crew can deal with him after that."

Thomas agreed and the four escorted Stryker back to the _Mad Hound_. Captain Marbeley confiscated the man's armor and weapon until they could confirm his story. Stryker did not seem to mind as he was thrilled just to be off the phantom ship. Meanwhile, Suzanne's group returned to the phantom ship. They returned to the cabin with the staircase and went below deck.

Almost as soon as they made it down the steps they were confronted by three merman-like monsters. The monsters' torso was made up of large yellow scales while their arms were covered with smaller green scales. Although clearly aquatic creatures they hovered above the floor, giving them good mobility even out of the water.

Alice quickly used her staff to engulf two of the monsters in a stream of fire. One of the creatures halted its advance and began chanting a spell. The large sparkle of a healing spell hit it a moment later, erasing the burns Alice had just inflicted. The other two monsters met Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas in melee.

One of the monsters managed to hit Ron on the side with its deceptively heavy fin. Other than that, the three dispatched the two monsters flawlessly. Ron quickly recovered from the strike and buried his blade into the creature's midsection. Suzanne and Thomas double-teamed the other monster. Suzanne blocked its fin with her shield which left it wide open for a blow from Thomas. Both creatures fell to the ground dead.

Meanwhile, Alice engaged in a magic fight with the only remaining merman-monster. She sent another stream of fire at the beast, giving it another copy of the burns she had given it before. The creature replied by sending a bolt of ice at Alice. However, putting its focus on Alice kept it from noticing the three melee fighters coming at it. It was skewered moments later.

After finishing the merman-monsters the four had a chance to view their surroundings. This area of the ship is where the rowers were kept. The ghostly rowers continued to do their work even in death. The rowers' bodies were in various states of decay. Some of the rowers' bodies were relatively intact, though they looked like zombies. Unfortunately, some of the rowers had clearly taken some great damage. For some, it was likely being hit by the ship's wreckage during the storm that had killed them. For others, they had clearly been munched upon by monsters, as Stryker had said.

Besides the bodies, the four came across several flames that were moving strangely. The flames seemed to be trying to row the boat like the ghostly bodies were. Upon drawing close to them, the group found that the flames spoke in the same way as the bodies were; they were reliving the moments just before their death. The four concluded that these flames were also ghosts, perhaps those ghosts whose bodies had been completely destroyed. It was when one of the flames started having a conversation with one of the bodies that the four heard something that caught their attention.

"What's going on out there? Rowing is even worse than usual today," said one of the bodied ghosts.

"I don't know. Rowing is always hard work," said one of the flame ghosts.

"Isn't that the truth? Rowing is work for criminals and murderers," answered the body. "I bumped a man off. That's why I feel so bad for Errol over there."

"What are you talking about?" asked the flame.

"That guy Errol over there," said the body, gesturing with his head towards another bodied ghost. "He's never done anything wrong. He doesn't deserve to be a slave on a pirate ship."

The four did not stay to hear the rest of the conversation. They went over to the ghost of Errol. Errol was rowing on the other side of the ship. As the group approached, two large green octopuses came in from a nearby hole in the bottom of the ship. The octopuses saw the free meal in front of them and decided to begin by going at Errol. When they saw four living humans who actually reacted to their presence they quickly adjusted to meet the threats head-on.

Alice once again put her staff to use, engulfing the octopus monsters in a stream of fire. The monsters then fell upon Suzanne and Ron, who had stepped up to keep the monsters away from Errol. The octopuses scored a multitude of hits on the two as there was nothing either of them could do to block or dodge eight tentacles each. Ron punished his foe by sinking his blade into one of the offending tentacles. Suzanne tried to sever one of the tentacles that hit her but a different tentacle swatted her sword away.

Thomas tried to aid Suzanne but was thrown off his feet when two of the creature's tentacles slammed him in the side. In addition to their numerous appendages, the octopuses were quite agile. Realizing they were dealing with some tough opposition, Alice decided some extra force was necessary. She forsook using the staff again in favor of chanting a spell. A large, powerful river of fire flew at the two octopuses. An additional jet of flame bounced along the river, giving additional burns to the creatures caught inside.

Alice's spell dealt serious damage to the two creatures and as his foe reeled back in pain, Ron went in for the kill. He severed two tentacles with a vicious overhead chop, beat back another with his shield, and sunk his blade into the octopus's face. Overcome with its terrible wounds, the monster died.

Suzanne shifted to the side to keep her enemy from pursuing Thomas and focused on the defensive. The octopus's wounds took some of the force from its strikes and Suzanne was able to block two of its tentacles with her shield and slice one of its other tentacles. This allowed Thomas to get to his feet, get past the remaining tentacles, and slice open the creature's torso. The monster was still up but severely weakened now. Another stream of fire from Alice, who had gone back to her staff, finished it off.

As Thomas began healing the rest of the team, the other three immediately turned their attention to Errol, not wanting to dawdle for fear of more monsters appearing. Errol was now lying on the ground shaking. He had not been knocked down during the fight; the monsters had not gotten close enough to Errol. His decayed face could not be read for emotion but his voice revealed the source of his distress.

"Olivia!" Errol called out. "The ship is sinking! We won't meet again for all eternity! I hope at least that somehow you find happiness."

A look around revealed that the other ghosts were acting in a similar manner. The unease and doubt that the four had seen throughout the phantom ship so far had now been replaced with panic. The ghosts were acting in open desperation. Some even jumped off the ship while others were like Errol: on the ground shaking in fear.

"Errol! There's no storm!" yelled Suzanne above the panic. "You and Olivia are already dead! You need to reunite with her spirit!"

But as with the other ghosts, Errol gave no indication that he was aware of Suzanne. Thomas, now done with the healing, walked up to Errol and began casting some spells on him. After some time, he explained what he was doing to the rest of the group.

"I was beginning to think something was strange with the ghosts here," began Thomas.

"Just _now_ you were beginning to think something strange was going on here?" asked Ron.

"I meant besides the obvious," said Thomas with a scowl. "Anyway, I just ran a quick examination on Errol, or his image anyway. Errol's spirit is not in this body. If I'm right, none of these bodies or even the flames have spirits within them. They're all images created by whatever curse holds this ship in this plane."

"So these aren't actually ghosts?" asked Suzanne. "Then Errol isn't here at all?"

"That seems to be the case," confirmed Thomas.

"Great," grumbled Ron. "This has all been a waste then!"

"Let's not admit defeat yet," said Alice. "We should at least finish investigating the ship."

"Alice's right," agreed Suzanne. "Let's keep going."

There were two rooms towards the stern of the ship. The closest one was a storeroom; it was filled with barrels, jars, and chests. The four searched the storeroom for anything conspicuous. They found some gold and an herb for curing temporary paralysis. Alice was also sure the check the chests before opening them and found one of them was trapped.

The group proceeded to the other room. This room contained four beds and a chest in it. The four guessed that these were the crew's quarters though there were far fewer beds than the number of crewmembers. Alice checked the chest and then opened it to reveal a locket. Inside the locket was a picture of a young woman. An engraving on the locket read, "Olivia and Errol until the end of time."

"This must've belonged to Errol," said Alice. "Olivia must've given it to him sometime before he was taken."

Thomas looked fascinated with the locket. "May I see it?" he asked. Alice gave him the locket. Thomas began running his magical tests on the locket.

"What is it, man?" asked Ron.

"A hunch," answered Thomas. "Let me finish."

A minute later Thomas explained his hunch, "I was right. Errol's spirit is in this locket!"

"Are you sure?" asked Suzanne.

"Positive," answered Thomas. "I think I have a little understanding of what happened here. For whatever reason, the ship itself became possessed and did not simply sink when it was destroyed. This possession caused it to reenact the moments of its destruction. It did this by using the bodies of the crew to create the images we've seen and summoning those flame images for the crew whose bodies were destroyed or removed."

"That also explains the thigh bone," continued Thomas. "The possession has taken hold of the crew's bodies, but not their spirits, so that they can be used for the ship's images. The bodies will return to the ship by whatever means they can. But, like I said, the spirits were free. Most of the crew's spirits have likely left this plane. But, as we know, some spirits linger in this world as they have some strong attachment to the world still. Errol's spirit remained here the same way that Olivia's did. But Errol's spirit could not linger in his body because the ship is using his body for its images. So it went into the next best thing that symbolizes his love for Olivia: this locket."

"Wow, that's quite a story Tom!" said Alice. "If that's true, than this locket should be the key to giving Olivia's spirit some peace!"

"Wait a moment," said Ron. "Isn't this a bit of a long shot? Using some locket to try and break Olivia's curse?"

"For once, I believe this long shot will work," answered Thomas.

* * *

The four left the phantom ship and returned to the _Mad Hound_. The _Mad Hound_ was once again teleported near Noaniels to make another try at the Shrine Jail. After four days they made it back to the river between the Narls and Naxly Seas. Once again, a sunny day suddenly became cloudy and a loud moaning sound filled the air. As before, the ship was being pushed out of the river and back to the Naxly.

"Tom!" yelled Suzanne above the noise. "What do we need to do with the locket?"

"I don't know," answered Thomas as he took the locket out. No sooner had he taken the locket out than it began to glow. It began to float in the air, tugging against Thomas' grip. Thomas let go of the locket and it flew higher into the air until it was far above the ship. The moaning came to a stop and the waters stopped pushing the ship backwards. Then the moaning voice began speaking.

"Oh Errol, my beloved! I've been waiting for you such a long time!" cried the voice.

Another voice, a man's voice, cried out in answer, "My dear Olivia. Never again shall we be parted!"

"Errol!" cried the female voice with great joy.

The clouds began to break up and the locket vanished out of thin air. Soon enough, the sky was clear as it had been before.

"Well that's wonderful," commented Alice. "After all this time those two can finally be together."

"And now we should be able to make it to the Shrine Jail," said Suzanne.

After hesitating for a moment, Captain Marbeley ordered the crew to get back to work and the _Mad Hound_ once again attempted the river. This time, nothing was stopping them and they successfully crossed from the Naxly to the Narls Sea.

With the directions given to them by King Crayton, finding the Shrine Jail was easy. It was on a small island covered in forest. The Jail was a small building in the middle of the forest. It looked like a shack made out of concrete. The four entered the Shrine Jail.

Inside the concrete shack was a locked hatch leading downwards. The lock was augmented with powerful magic but was still no match for the Final Key. The four descended down the stairs that the hatch revealed.

At the bottom of the stairs was a ball of flame that looked and moved much like the flame-images from the phantom ship. Unlike the images, this flame actually moved towards and then greeted the group.

"This is the desolate Shrine Jail," said the flame. "You seem too well equipped for new prisoners. I take it you have been sent to check up on someone?"

The four were surprised to hear the flame address them. "You could say that," answered Suzanne after a moment. "But, if I may ask, who are you?"

"You weren't sent by the king?" asked the flame. "He should've told you who I am."

"He told us about the Shrine Jail, and we heard from another that we could find Simon here. But he never mentioned any spirits," answered Suzanne.

"Really?" asked the flame. "Has anything happened to the king recently?" The flame's voice seemed to have a note of hope in it.

"Well, there has been an imposter on the throne for the last six or seven years. Recently that imposter has been defeated and the true king is back on the throne," said Suzanne.

"Oh that's great!" said the flame. "That explains everything!"

"If I may ask, who are you?" asked Suzanne again.

"I'm the jailor. This jail has been absolutely horrible in the last few years," answered the flame. "Not that it was ever supposed to be a bright place, but I never thought I'd have to work here after I died!"

"You mean your spirit has been forced to work here?" asked Suzanne.

"Yes. Judging by what you're saying, I died a year or two after the imposter took power," said the jailor. "And he used necromancy to keep me here. Not to mention that I don't actually do anything here. Since I died, the prisoners aren't even kept alive. They lock them up here and let them die. I make sure to keep as far away from the cells as I can so I don't have to watch them."

"That's horrible!" said Alice.

"Another example of the imposter's sadism," growled Thomas.

"Now that he's dead, you should be able to leave," said Suzanne to the flame.

"I wish I could figure out how but something's keeping me here," said the jailor.

"There must be some way to break the necromancy," said Thomas. "We should look for a way."

"We have to find Simon's body too," said Suzanne. "It sounds like there's no chance he survived."

"Oh Simon?" asked the jailor. "You can find him in the last cell on the right. You can find his body in the cell across from where he is. The king saw fit to keep him on this plane as well."

The four followed the jailor's directions and found another flame inside a cell. They unlocked the door and entered.

"Who are you?" asked the flame.

"I am Suzanne. These are my comrades Ron, Thomas, and Alice," introduced Suzanne. "We are friends of your son Matthew and have also made the acquaintance of your friend Mathias."

"Really? How did you get here? How did you find out I was here?" asked Simon.

* * *

The four spent some time conversing with Simon's spirit and letting him know what had befallen Samanao. Simon was filled with joy to find out that the king who had imprisoned him was not the real King Crayton. His only lament was that he did not survive to reunite with his family.

After the chat, Simon told the four to search the cell with his body in it to find the Sword of Gaia. The Sword was even greater than Mathias had described. It had a golden cross-guard and pommel with a crimson grip and crimson hair coming from the pommel. The blade was incredibly sharp and gently curved. Alice examined the Sword.

"I've never held anything with such power in it!" Alice had exclaimed. "There is incredible elemental energy within this sword. This has to be it! The Sword of Gaia!"

The four thanked Simon for the Sword and made sure to go straight to Samanao. They related everything they had found to the king and made sure to tell Matthew of his father's fate. Matthew was saddened that his father had met such an end but was comforted by finally knowing what happened to him. King Crayton immediately dispatched some mages and clerics to go to the Shrine Jail and undo the dark magic that held the jailor's and Simon's spirits in the Jail.

Meanwhile, the four began preparing for the greatest challenge yet. Using the information Suzanne had gained from the man in Billville and all maps the group could find of the region, the four decided they needed to use the Sword of Gaia to get to the region. They needed the Sword to get past the rough waters that had been enchanted by the Archfiend to resist any attempt to cross. After that, they would have to travel through a large part of the Necrogond Valley.

In order to prepare for their journey, the group bought some new equipment. In the shops of Samanao the group found some powerful silver shields for sale. Each one of the four bought a silver shield. In Billville, the four found suits of armor made from dragon scales for sale. The suits of armor inherited the dragons' resistance to physical harm and magic. The armor proved too heavy for Thomas and Alice so only Suzanne and Ron received the suits of dragon armor.

The team spent an additional two weeks training and preparing for their upcoming excursion. Besides making sure to work on their swordplay and magic they made sure to go over any situation they could think of so that any one of them would know what to do in the worst of circumstances.

Finally, the group teleported the _Mad Hound_ to Assaram so that they could begin their journey. The time had come for the four to enter into the Necrogond.

* * *

Author's Note: Another mid-semester update? Inconceivable!


	28. Chapter 27: The Necrogond

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 27: The Necrogond

Following a day of sailing, the _Mad Hound_ reached the Valley of the Necrogond. After a short trek through the forest the four came to the foot of the mountain they were looking for. Alice had studied the maps of the valley and identified the volcano she thought would work best. The four readied their gear and began the climb. It took the rest of the day and part of the next but eventually they found themselves at the top.

"So this is a volcano," mused Suzanne. "As dangerous as this place is, it's beautiful in a way. No matter what artifacts and magic we come across, the world always has more power than any of them."

"Are you alright, Susie?" asked Alice.

"Yeah, I told you guys, I'm fine with my father's death," replied Suzanne. "Anyway, let's just review the plan quick. Alice, you begin casting the teleportation spell. I'll listen to your casting and when I can tell you're finishing it up I'll signal Ron to throw in the Sword. Thomas, you have a wing of wyvern ready if something goes wrong and make sure not to enter Alice's spell area until Ron does."

"We got it Susie!" said Ron impatiently, the Sword of Gaia already in his hand. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Alice began the incantation while Ron stood as close to the mouth of the volcano as he could without needing Thomas to constantly heal him of burns. Suzanne listened carefully to Alice's spellcasting; as she knew the spell herself she could tell when it was near its end. Thomas had a wing of wyvern out.

After some time Suzanne gave a wave to Ron. Ron took a few steps more towards the mouth of the volcano, taking some burns in the process, and threw the Sword of Gaia inside. As the Sword descended towards the lava it began to glow with a bright red light. As the Sword hit the lava great flames shot up, almost hitting Ron as he retreated from the mouth of the volcano. He and Thomas went into the area of Alice's spell in time for her to finish. The four teleported away without incident.

Back in Assaram the four watched the spectacle from safety. Even though the eruption took place miles and miles away flames and smoke could still be seen from the city. When the other people in the city saw the eruption they stopped what they were doing to watch the show. People left their houses and places of business to go outside. The streets of Assaram were filled with people watching the eruption coming from the Necrogond, many wondering if this was an ill omen.

* * *

"Trolls!" yelled Ron, pointing down the hill.

Running at the group were two huge, orange humanoids. Besides the different skin color, these trolls were slightly smaller than the troll who had impersonated King Crayton and they did not carry any weapons.

"Ha! I knew they were supposed to be orange!" said Alice triumphantly.

"Not the most important thing right now, Alice!" scolded Suzanne.

Having been sure to read up on trolls Alice knew that these beasts could regenerate just as the troll in Samanao had. Knowing that her staff did not have enough power she instead cast her strongest fire stream spell. A huge stream of fire engulfed the trolls, with an additional jet of flame bouncing up and down the stream. The flames did considerable damage to the trolls but the four could see they would have to be quick or even these serious burns would soon disappear.

Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas charged the beasts. Thomas fell behind the other two, chanting a spell as he ran. A large whirlwind engulfed the two trolls, giving them cuts large enough that the wounds did not disappear immediately. Suzanne and Ron made it down the hill to engage the two in melee. The trolls had the strength advantage but were clumsy and stupid. The two warriors made sure to position themselves to the right of the troll on the right. By doing this, the right troll's own body effectively blocked the left troll, and the two beasts were not smart or nimble enough to get around each other quickly.

Suzanne stabbed upwards into the troll's gut, causing a river of blood to fall out which covered Suzanne. The wounded troll swiped angrily at Suzanne. Suzanne tried to jump clear over the strike but could not jump high enough; the troll caught her legs. This caused Suzanne to fall hard on her back. Thankfully, Ron was able to use the opportunity to climb onto the troll's shoulders. He drove his sword deep into the troll's skull, dealing a mortal blow. He was then knocked to the ground himself as he was hit by the living troll as he tried to get off the dying troll.

With the two warriors in prone position Alice knew she had to act quickly or else either Suzanne or Ron would be in trouble. She recast her flame spell, once again engulfing the troll in the raging rapids of her fire river. Amazingly, the troll still stood. It was about to deal a terrible blow to Ron when Thomas made it into the melee. The troll abruptly stopped its advance towards Ron to try and swipe at Thomas but the troll's wounds slowed its attack. Thomas fell backwards to avoid the swipe and managed to escape untouched, though he was now also on the ground.

Nevertheless, Thomas' diversion gave Suzanne and Ron time to get back to their feet. They launched another double attack on the troll, this time with Suzanne going high and Ron low. They successfully felled the beast and got out of the way before its girth hit the ground.

"Damn, those bastards are tough to bring down!" cursed Ron after he had caught his breath.

"Yes they are," agreed Suzanne. "But we still have to be judicious with our resources. Alice, you can't afford to cast that spell so often. This journey is going to be an endurance test as much as it is a test of power."

"But Susie, you and Ron were sitting ducks!" protested Alice. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Tom was close enough to help us out," said Suzanne. "A shot from your staff would've been enough. But you bring up a good point. We all had a breakdown in that battle. We have to be in better position to help each other in the future. That way we won't have as many of those predicaments."

"Got it, Susie," said Ron.

The four continued their trek through the Necrogond Valley. On the first day of their march they went through a forest, over the new land bridge created by the Sword of Gaia, and ended the day in another forest. This was now the second day and they had quickly left the forest and made it onto a vast stretch of plains. They could have taken a more direct route to their destination by cutting through the hills to the west but Suzanne did not like that idea.

"It'll be easier for enemies to hide in the hills and as this area is their home, they'll have enough of an advantage as it is," she had said.

In comparison the plains had many smaller hills, such as the one the group had just fought on. Suzanne had been nervous that while they would find it easier to see enemies in the open plains that the four themselves would be easier to see. As it turned out, the plains provided a much better advantage for the group. The only enemies that the four came across were trolls and smaller green imps. The imps seldom appeared alone, preferring to work with the larger trolls as their brawn. And the trolls were large, orange, and stupid making them easy to spot on the open plains. The four were able to see most of the enemy parties and avoid them without conflict.

That did not make travelling easy, however. There was often little cover to conceal themselves with and so the four would have to take long, zigzagging routes through the plains. And all too often their efforts would be futile and their enemies would see them, causing a fight to break out. In one incident the four defeated a group of imps with a troll but were almost immediately set upon by another such group, as the other group had seen the fight and rushed over to join. Now the four had to find ways to end their fights quickly, using as few of their resources as possible.

At the end of the third day they came to another forest. They proceeded even more cautiously through the forest. The trolls were even easier to avoid in the forest as they were not experts in being quiet. However, smaller monsters proved to be tougher to avoid and much better at hiding.

"Behind us!" warned Alice.

Her warning came too late. Five strange blue clouds with faces had ambushed the group. Two of them let out waves of frigid breath. The other three converged on Alice, engulfing her with their equally frigid bodies. Fortunately, neither the monsters' breath attack nor their engulfing attack was very dangerous. Nevertheless, being pressed by three monsters in melee kept Alice from getting her staff out. Instead, she slashed at one of the cloud monsters. Her sword flew through the monster as though it were normal air, causing Alice to lose her balance. However, the monster recoiled and its face showed pain, indicating that Alice's attack had hurt it.

"Let's help Alice out so she can use her staff!" yelled Suzanne. Two of the three monsters that had focused on Alice renewed their attacks. The third broke off and unleashed another wave of frigid breath upon the four. The two other clouds floated over to Suzanne and Ron to cut them off. Suzanne and Ron both dueled their opponents and both landed a blow upon their gaseous foes. Seeing Alice almost fall over during her attack, the two warriors did not put all their might into their attacks in order to avoid the same mistake.

Thomas was able to make it to where Alice was and sent his blade through the monster that Alice had already wounded. The monster dissipated, apparently destroyed. With Thomas' arrival, Alice was able to avoid the other cloud and pull out her staff. She sent a stream of fire at Suzanne's and Ron's opponents, causing them to dissipate.

One of the remaining monsters continued the fight with Thomas. Thomas instinctively held his shield up at the creature's advance and was amazed to find that his shield was able to block its non-solid body. The other surviving cloud sent another wave of frigid air at the group. But as they no longer had a numerical or strategic advantage and since Alice now had her staff out, the two survivors were soon taken care of.

Thomas performed his usual healing routines after the four were sure that their enemies were gone. "Those monsters and their breath attacks add up," he remarked. He had to cast a healing spell on each one of the four.

"Alice, if we get ambushed by them again you need to cast one of your spells," said Suzanne.

"What happened to conserving my magic?" asked Alice.

"We all need to conserve our magic," answered Suzanne. "Thomas had to expend a lot to heal us after that fight. Those monsters weren't powerful but between their numbers and their ambush, we took some hits. You shouldn't need to pull out your most powerful magic but we'll need some help if we get ambushed again. On that note, we need to be more careful as we continue."

* * *

It took another two days before the group left the forest and came upon a cave leading underground. This cave would take them underneath the Necrogond Mountains and into a canyon, where the man from Billville had pointed Suzanne. Although they had covered most of the distance to their goal the four knew that the worst part could be yet to come.

"According to what I could find about the area, the caves of the Necrogond Mountains are notoriously dangerous," Alice had told them. "Even when there isn't an Archfiend residing in the region."

The four descended into the cave. It did not take them long to see that this was no ordinary cave. A large hallway just inside was decorated with emerald statues, one row on each side of the hallway. The statues were of valiant warriors, covered head to toe in heavy armor, armed with swords and each one in an identical battle stance.

"Wow," marveled Ron, looking at the statues. "I don't know what I expected from a cave in the Necrogond but well-made statues of human warriors definitely weren't it."

"This _is_ surprising," agreed Alice. "I would've thought that any decorations we find would be glorifying monsters, not humans."

"They're not dressed like the people we've seen from around here either," observed Suzanne. "At least we have yet to encounter anybody from this region that wears armor. Alice, do you know of any tribes that used to live in the Necrogond that may have made these?"

"I know very little of the Necrogond tribes, period, Susie," answered Alice. "Many of the tribes took great pains to avoid outsiders."

"It seems that one of the most common themes among any nation or people is the unwillingness to work with other peoples," said Thomas sourly.

The four proceeded through the hall and turned a corner to the right. They were greeted with a wide staircase going upwards. They were also greeted with two monsters: a tiny green imp and a skeletal monster. The skeleton was similar to the undead the group had fought in Samanao except the bones on this monster were brown instead of white.

"Ron and Tom, we'll take on the skeleton. Tom has the zombie slasher so we'll try to open up its defenses for you. Alice, you take the imp," said Suzanne.

Either the imp heard what Suzanne said or it was just smart enough to know its partner was a better melee fighter. The imp took a step behind the skeleton as soon as it noticed the group. Alice countered the move with her staff, sending a stream of fire at the imp. But the imp gave no indication to have been hurt by the flames.

The other three ran into close quarters with the skeleton. This monster proved to be much more dangerous than its counterparts from Samanao. It was much quicker and clearly had skill in swordplay. Ron reached the creature first, sticking to its left side, but quickly had to fall onto the defensive against three of its blades. He blocked one but the other two snuck through to give him blows to a shoulder and a side. Suzanne focused on the creature's right and had two swords to block. She managed to block both of them but was unable to launch an offensive strike.

The idea had been for Suzanne and Ron to flank the monster and distract it which would give Thomas an opening in its middle but the creature had one more arm to spare and used it to block Thomas' slash. From over the skeleton's shoulder, the imp jumped up and completed a spell of its own, sending a fireball at Alice that exploded on impact.

"We need a good offense to hurt these guys! Fight aggressively and be ready to take some cuts!" yelled Suzanne. "Alice, use some of your magic!"

Alice began an incantation and when she finished, a large explosion engulfed the two foes. Both monsters survived the explosion but the skeleton lost two of its arms and the imp was in bad shape. Suzanne disengaged from the skeleton to finish the imp off. Heeding Suzanne's advice, Ron launched an aggressive series of moves on the skeleton. He received another two blows for his trouble but managed to take off another of the skeleton's arms.

Thomas tried to follow Ron's lead but before he could slash the skeleton his foe inhaled and then released a wave of red breath at the four. When the breath touched their skin it burned as though they had been set on fire, even though the breath was clearly not made of flames. Even after the breath dissipated Thomas' limbs felt like they were ablaze. He was unable to move. Fortunately, the other three were able to recover from the skeleton's breath and destroy it.

After the battle the other three checked on Thomas, who still was not moving.

"What was that breath?" asked Suzanne. "Why isn't Tom moving?"

Alice looked over Thomas and thought about his predicament. "I'm not exactly sure but I think he's paralyzed. Temporarily, I hope. I think I know a spell that can help him."

Alice cast a spell and Thomas was briefly engulfed in a blast of light along with several smaller bursts of light. Thomas immediately began moving his limbs and checking them over, as though he could not believe they were moving.

"Are you alright, Tom?" asked Suzanne.

"I believe so," answered Thomas. "That creature's breath made my body feel like it was on fire. The pain caused my body to lock up."

"I don't see any burns on any of us though," pointed out Ron.

"It wasn't fire, just some sort of gas that produces incredible pain," said Thomas. "I don't see any lasting damage on myself either. The creature's breath is likely for immobilization, not for killing. If all of you locked up like I did we would've been in a lot of trouble."

The four continued up the stairs and arrived in a large chamber. There was a single hallway connected to the chamber but that hallway had another hallway splitting off to the left almost immediately. The group decided to keep going forward. They came to another chamber with exits to the left and right. Alice guessed that the left exit would lead to the other hallway and so the four went to the right first. They came to a smaller chamber with a treasure chest in it. The four were fully expecting a trap and Alice made sure to check the chest with her magic.

They were surprised to find the chest was not a monster and opened it to find some gold inside. However, the chest still turned out to be a trap as the four were ambushed by four green imps. They were able to take care of the monsters but once again had to expend some magic to do so.

The four went back and took the left exit this time. This hallway would again split, a split which the group took this time. This split took them to the hallway they had first passed up. Thankfully, this hallway took them around in a half-circle, with some small chambers connecting to it, so they connected with the second split, giving a grand total of one path to take. In one of the smaller chambers there was another treasure chest. There had been another ambush of monsters, two imps and one of the brown skeletons, waiting for them but because the group had circled around the chamber by using the other hallway they ended up surprising the monsters. With the element of surprise on their side, the group dispatched their foes with few wounds and no magic.

Inside the chest was a beautiful looking sword. The sword had a blue grip with a golden pommel. The blade was mostly crimson but the entire edge was colored gold and there were vein-like gold strands going through the crimson. The blade was irregularly shaped: it was tilted and had two large spikes sprouting off it on the back end with a long spike coming off the front near the hilt. Ron and Alice both gave the sword a good looking over.

"Despite its weird shape you'll be hard pressed to find a better sword than this," Ron reported. "Its edge is just as sharp as our dragon killers. I would imagine that this is just as effective a weapon."

"I'm going to say it's even better!" exclaimed Alice, excited. "There is powerful magic inside this sword! It's like the magic that inhabits my staff: it'll allow you to manifest a spell on command. In this case, it'll conjure up a large explosion like the ones I've made from time to time."

"That sounds incredibly useful," agreed Suzanne. "Ron, you should take that sword."

"Me?" asked Ron. "Shouldn't you use it, Susie? You know much more about magic and all that stuff than I do."

"But giving you that sword would open up our group's possibilities immensely," explained Suzanne. "If I understand how these things work correctly, one need not be a spellcaster to utilize their magic potential." Alice nodded her head to confirm Suzanne's statement. "So if you use that sword than every one of us can conjure up a magical attack as the situation calls for it. It'll give us a great tactical advantage."

"But I wouldn't know when to use it," protested Ron. "I know my role on the front lines pretty well but I don't know when and where to sling spells."

"I'll tell you when the time arises," answered Suzanne. "When we're not in the middle of hostile territory we can do some drills to get you used to it more. Don't worry, you're still going to be relying on your swordplay most of the time."

"Alright," conceded Ron. He took the sword and gave it a few swings. The sword's magic caused it to leave a small gold and crimson trail on every swing. Alice theorized that the sword's magic augmented the damage its blade could do as well. Ron seemed to be satisfied with the sword's balance as well.

The numerous hallways had combined into one large chamber with only one other exit. That exit took them to a chamber with two exits: straight and to the left. They took the straight exit first and came to another treasure chest. Once again the chest was guarded by monsters: another gang of four imps. But the group was ready for them and the magic combination of Alice's staff and Ron's new sword tore the enemy group to pieces. Suzanne and Thomas cleaned up the rest and the fight was over almost as soon as it began.

Inside the chest was a suit of armor. The armor was made up of brown shoulder guards, gauntlets, and leg guards with blue chain mail to go over the torso. The interesting thing about this armor was the large spikes that covered the entirety of it. The spikes varied in size, shape, and direction.

Ron took a great interest in the suit of armor. "I never thought I'd see one of these!" he said.

"What is it?" asked Suzanne.

"I read about these," answered Ron. "It's a suit of swordedge armor. They were made for renowned warriors and generals in the First Great War. Even then they were rare and exceptionally valuable. It takes an exceptional craftsman to make one of these. Somehow, all suits of swordedge armor and the knowledge of how to make them faded long ago."

"Wow, you actually read books, Ron?" asked Alice.

Ron gave her a glare. "As a matter of fact I do. Just because I don't spend all my time studying magic doesn't mean I don't study or work hard like you do."

Alice backed off, "Geez, I was just kidding! So how good are these suits of armor anyway?"

"I'd wager this suit of armor is even better than the dragon scales Susie and I are wearing now," said Ron. "Besides that, the spikes on this thing aren't just for show. Enemies that attack with their own bodies are known to hurt themselves attacking someone wearing swordedge armor. That isn't of much note against other humans fighting with weapons but against monsters it's of great use. That's why these suits were so valuable in the First Great War."

"Well, package it up and let's get going," said Suzanne. "I don't dare leave one of us unarmored for the time it would take to change into that suit."

* * *

Monsters were not the team's only worry as they went through the cave. The cave itself began to work against them. The four found a descending staircase not far from where they found the swordedge armor. They were given two choices at the bottom of the stairs and took the choice on the left. The hallway they entered split once and then continued onwards for a long, long ways. The four continued on through the hallway, fighting through monsters as they did so, wondering when it would come to an end. After some time and several fights Suzanne concluded that the hallway would never end.

"Hey guys," said Suzanne, stopping the other group. "Can we try turning around for a moment? I want to check something."

"What is it?" asked Ron. Suzanne did not answer him but began backtracking. The other three followed her. In a short amount of time they came across the staircase they had used to get down to their current level.

"As I thought," said Suzanne. "The Navel of the Earth had similar trickery. The hallway we were just in never ends. We could have kept walking down it until the end of time."

"That's troubling," commented Thomas. "We're having enough trouble conserving our resources as it is. If we have to keep worrying about possibly infinite hallways…"

"Hey Alice," cut in Ron. "Is there any way to tell a never-ending hallway from a regular one?"

"Not that I know of, I'm afraid," Alice replied. "All we can do is try to judge when to turn back. Good call on that, Susie."

The four now took the other hallway, hoping that this one would end. They came across a chamber with several holes in the ground. A few steps into the chamber revealed that the ground in the chamber was unstable. The group tread lightly over the ground and stayed close to the walls where there were fewer holes in the ground.

The four had just reached the corner of the chamber when they were beset upon by monsters again. Two imps flew out of two of the holes in the floor. Another monster came from the chamber's exit. This monster looked like a shadow sprung to life. This shadow belonged to a being with large wings, horns, long wiry arms with long claws, and a lower body that disappeared into nothing. Unlike most shadows, the creature's color was turquoise with bright, magenta eyes. However, the strange coloration did not make the shadow any less menacing.

The group would have liked to rush the imps rather than let them fly back and cast spells but the uncertain ground kept them from doing so. To their surprise, the imps flew to them. The imps tried to fly at Alice but Suzanne and Ron were able to cut the off. The imps adjusted quickly and turned their forks at the two warriors' heads. As the imps had little in the ways of strength both Suzanne and Ron were able to block the attacks. The two warriors quickly returned blows and both made contact but their unsure footing worked against them, reducing the speed and impact of their strikes. The imps were able to pull away just enough to survive.

Thomas and Alice both tried to engage the shadow, which appeared to be casting a spell. Alice stumbled on the rough ground and Thomas was not fast enough to make it to the shadow in time. The monster completed its spell and each of the four was suddenly engulfed in clouds of thick, purple smoke.

Thomas knew what the spell was. He had cast the very spell himself. He had heard Suzanne's description of the spell from when she had had it cast on her in the Navel of the Earth. But none of that prepared Thomas for what was coming. Somehow, it made the experience worse. Thomas' mind knew that a horrible ordeal was coming and a part of him believed it was better to give in immediately rather than go through such horrible pain with no guarantee of success. That part of Thomas' mind was taking over, and the pain caused by the spell did not feel so bad, as though the spell was awarding Thomas for his obedience.

Thomas felt outside of his own body when he suddenly saw a bright light cut through the smoke. Any pain he had felt was completely gone now. He brought himself towards the light and out of the smoke.

As Thomas returned the reality it took him a moment to catch up with what was going on. Suzanne had apparently already fought off the powerful spell, though her slower movements indicated she had been quite shaken up by it. Alice appeared to have fought off the spell as well but was so stunned she almost fell over.

"Tom! Snap out of it! Destroy the shadow!" yelled Suzanne, her voice cracking.

Remembering that they had been in the middle of a battle, Thomas turned towards the shadow to find the creature reaching for his neck. Thomas reacted quickly and ducked under the shadow's hands. The shadow seemed surprised that Thomas had recovered from its deadly magic. Thomas took advantage of that surprise to stab his blade upwards. His sword entered the shadow at its midsection and he brought it out through its head. The maneuver was apparently devastating to the monster as it shrieked and dissipated.

Back towards the corner of the chamber, Alice had come back to her senses and she and Suzanne were able to dispatch the two imps. Thomas then looked towards Ron, who had not moved since the shadow had cast its spell. Realizing what that meant, Thomas ran towards Ron, only just able to keep his balance as he did so.

Thomas opened up Ron's helmet. Ron's face was locked in a horrible, silent scream. Though the shadow had been destroyed, its spell continued its work on Ron. Thomas knew he had little time. He cast a spell on Ron, summoning a beam of light from the ceiling down upon Ron's body. This time, Thomas was able to get the spell to work on his first try. Ron immediately fell to his knees and began coughing, as though he had just been choking. A few seconds later he puked onto the ground.

"Easy," said Thomas. "There's nothing wrong with your body. Your mind just thinks there is. Take a few deep breaths and sit in the corner for a moment."

"That was the most horrible experience I've ever had in my life," said Alice. "It's a good thing you were able to beat that spell so easily, Susie."

"Nothing easy about it," replied Suzanne. "I swear that was even worse than the first time I had that spell cast on me."

Ron, now feeling good enough to stand back up, walked up to Thomas and clapped him on the back. "You all did a good job of beating that spell. Especially you, man. If it weren't for you I'd be dead now."

"But I didn't beat it," said Thomas, confused. "A part of me wanted to give in and die and I let that part of me win. I shouldn't be alive right now."

"You're always being so hard on yourself, Tom," said Suzanne. "Nobody helped you beat that magic. You wouldn't be alive if you hadn't beat it."

"You misunderstand," replied Thomas. "I know how that spell works. And I know that I didn't beat it. I _should_ be dead now. How am I not?"

"Hey, enough of that talk," said Ron. "That spell did a lot to all of us. I think we should head back."

"I couldn't agree more," said Alice. "I've had way too much pain for one day."

"When even Ron has had enough fighting that's probably a good place to stop," joked Suzanne. "I agree as well. We've made a lot of mistakes on this trip, myself included. I should've known something was up when the imps rushed us, something they haven't done before. This was a coordinated ambush. If we head back we can take some time to recover and work on what we've learned about this area. And when we return we'll do much better. Sound good to everyone?"

Ron and Alice both nodded their heads. Thomas, lost in thought over how he survived the deadly spell, did not respond at first but another prompting from Suzanne yielded a nod from Thomas as well. Alice began to cast a teleportation spell to whisk the four out of the cave. As she did so, Thomas suddenly had an idea. He reached into one of his pockets.

In that pocket his hand grasped a bunch of sand. Thomas now knew how he had survived. The Stone of Life had died in his place.

* * *

The group retreated from the Necrogond safely and returned to Assaram. They took four weeks to recover and train for another excursion. Suzanne had the group running drills to guard against ambushes and to fight with difficult footing. Ron was given ownership of the swordedge armor and worked on adjusting his fighting style for his new equipment. In four weeks he was unable to make many changes but Alice was impressed with the progress he made in using his new sword's magic. Thomas researched the death magic the group had faced and came up with some mental drills to help the four fight it. Alice did her usual magic research but also put an added emphasis on studying the monsters they had fought and analyzing their battles against them.

The group set out for the Necrogond with renewed confidence and energy. Their four weeks of preparation proved to be well spent. The four made their way through the Necrogond with much greater ease than on their first try. Although they still were surprised by monsters on a couple occasions the four did a much better job of guarding against ambushes.

The four found the cave that had repelled them four weeks ago. Using their map the team was able to make progress a lot quicker. As in the valley, they also fought much better. They even encountered another of the turquoise shadow monsters but were able to keep this one from using any magic.

The team proceeded past the room with the unstable floor and soon found an ascending staircase. The floor on the next floor was better than that of the chamber they had just left but it did have a few large chasms. The floor also had a few small ponds. Strangely enough there were few monsters on this floor. Those that were there the group handled with little issue.

However, exploration of the floor revealed that there was no easy way to proceed. The four found a hallway with an ascending staircase that they could not access; there was a chasm that cut the group off from the hallway. The chasm was far too wide to cross and so the team had to pull out their rope and drop down through the chasm. This brought them to a very large chamber.

"Something's wrong here," noted Suzanne as the four climbed down the rope.

"I know what you mean," said Ron. "Where are all the monsters?" The group could now see the majority of the large chamber. There was only one wall obstructing view of the chamber. From what the four could see, there were no monsters around.

"Cheer up, guys! This is a good thing!" said Alice.

"I concur with Susie and Ron," said Thomas. "I feel like we're being set up."

"Well I take it as a good sign," persisted Alice. "I think all the monsters decided to hang out around the entrance of this cave so they could turn away any adventurers like us that might come by. We've broken through the lines!"

"I guess that makes sense," conceded Ron.

"I hope you guys are right, but stay on your guard," cautioned Suzanne. "And I think we should try to move quietly for a little while. If there is something waiting ahead I don't want them to know we're coming."

Suzanne cast a spell on the group that helped them make less noise. They still had to walk slowly and carefully but without the spell the armor that the four of them wore would have made attempts at stealth futile. Weary of being ambushed the whole way, nevertheless the group was able to make it to an ascending staircase without incident.

The next floor was a good deal more scenic than the last few floors. A river ran straight through the cavern. Going across the river were several bridges. The bridges were decorated with emerald statues of human warriors, very similar to those in the cavern's entrance. The walls were gorgeous; there were jewels embedded in the walls in such formations that they made great pictures. The wall nearest to the four depicted a fierce warrior made up of various jewels. The group almost let out an exclamation but managed to appreciate the artwork in silence.

Although initially awed by the chamber, the four quickly regained their focus and proceeded with care. And it was good that they did for the trap they were expecting was sprung as soon as they stepped on one of the bridges. From out of nowhere a loud, screeching sound blasted through the chamber. Any attempts at stealth were broken by that noise. Across the river were three hallways. Out of two of the hallways came two lions with orange fur, purple manes, fierce red eyes, and wings upon their backs. From behind the group a turtle monster crawled out of the water. The turtle had dark orange scales and a green shell. It had grey frills on its head which resembled that of a dragon's more than a turtle's.

Alice drew a stream of fire in front of the two lions with her staff but the lions ran through it unharmed. Suzanne and Ron moved to cut the lions off but one of them took flight and went after Alice. Alice tried to duck under the lion's claws but the lion gave her a good strike on her back, the impact caused her to fall down. The turtle moved towards Alice, ready to chomp her head off, but Thomas stepped forward to engage the beast. The turtle rewarded Thomas' maneuver with a vicious snap to his midsection. Thomas' armor held but the impact still inflicted some pain.

Thomas thought he had an opportunity as the turtle had left its head exposed. The turtle turned its head causing Thomas' strike to hit it at an angle. Against most creatures the strike would have done considerable damage but the turtle had thick scales that caused Thomas' strike to glance off.

While Ron made his way over the bridge to help Thomas and Alice fight the two monsters, Suzanne dueled against the other lion monster. The lion that had stayed on land was noticeably more sluggish than the one that had taken flight. Noticing this, Suzanne decided to go for the wings to ensure it would keep that sluggishness. The lion pounced, bringing both its powerful paws towards Suzanne but it was too slow and Suzanne was able to roll to the side. With a couple quick strikes she shortened one of the lion's wings, rendering it useless, and removed the other.

Thomas' assistance with the turtle gave Alice the time to return to her feet. As the lion had proven resistant to her staff, was still in the air, and Alice wanted to conserve her magic she decided to help Thomas with the turtle. Alice tried to aim her strike in such a way that the turtle would give Thomas a great shot at its neck but it only took a subtle move from the turtle to make Alice's strike near useless. Another subtle move ensured Thomas' attack would be no more effective. The turtle then let out a burst of flaming breath upon the whole bridge. Towards the cave's ceiling the flying lion cast a spell, causing a stream of fire to run across the bridge. If the bridge had been made of wood the four would have been in bad shape indeed.

Ron fought his way through the flames and joined Thomas and Alice against the turtle. Having noticed that the turtle did such a good job protecting its head he decided to take a shot at one of its legs. His guess proved correct as he landed a direct hit on the creature's front right leg. Its scales still took a considerable amount away from the blow but Ron's magical blade found its way past the scales and drew blood.

"Withdraw from the monsters!" shouted Suzanne as she plunged her sword into the grounded lion. "We need to get out, more are on the way!"

The other three all heeded Suzanne's advice. The surviving monsters rewarded their prudence by covering the bridge in flames again. The three gritted their teeth and made it through. They soon saw what Suzanne had been referring to. Two of the skeletons were blocking one of the hallways.

"Break through the skeletons! Use your magic!" shouted Suzanne. There were two other hallways the group could go through but given the level of organization the monsters had displayed, Suzanne had a feeling that the path of most resistance was the right one. At least the four had fought these monsters already and so had a good idea what would work on them.

Rather than engage both monsters and face 12 swords Suzanne held up and chanted a spell. A bolt of lightning came down from the cave ceiling and struck one of the skeletons. The skeleton managed to resist the next magic attack, an explosion caused by Ron's sword. Its partner was clearly harmed, however.

The two skeletons bore down on Suzanne and Ron, who had now caught up to Suzanne. 12 swords pummeled the two warriors, inflicting numerous cuts and bruises. Alice conjured up a huge river of flames, with a jet of flame bouncing up and down the river, which consumed the two skeletons and destroyed them. The four were then engulfed in flames as the turtle had caught up to them and let loose its breath weapon again.

The four broke into a run forward, weary that more monsters would be on the way. Thomas and Alice began chanting healing spells as they ran as they had taken considerable damage in the encounter. The hallway ran straight ahead to another large river and also had a branch to the right. Suzanne took the briefest of moments to make a decision. Down the branch Suzanne could see some more monsters rushing for them. In front of them were no monsters and Suzanne believed the bridge would take them over the river and to the right. This would take them around the monsters but still get them to what the monsters were guarding.

Unfortunately this path did not prove any safer than the other. The four took the bridge but were given three ways to go from there. Turtle monsters swarmed towards land from the river. They were attempting to form a long line blocking access to the farthest hallway. Once again, Suzanne bet on the path of most resistance.

"Don't stop healing!" shouted Suzanne. She began chanting her own healing magic. The turtles were not fast enough to cut the group off but were able to subject them to a gauntlet of flaming breath. The combination of flames and spell-chanting made it almost impossible for the three spellcasters to breathe enough to keep running but their adrenaline kept them going. Ron began using his sword's magic in a desperate attempt to thin out the turtles' numbers but they proved quite resistant to the explosions and most did not take any damage at all.

The group took the farthest hallway and finally distanced themselves from the turtles. They were relieved to find the next chamber empty of monsters. Nevertheless, they kept their mad dash. As soon as they exited the chamber they found themselves next to another river. Turtles were once again rushing out of the water towards them and several flying lions were hanging around the cavern ceiling.

Although the lions had proven resistant to most magic thrown their way Thomas decided to take a chance by casting a spell. A large whirlwind appeared and engulfed the lions. Although the wind did not appear to have caused much pain directly it caused havoc with the lions' flight. Several were forced to land and those that did not were thrown away from the group.

Thomas' spell proved crucial as the four were able to close the distance and begin ripping through the lions. As before, the lions were much worse fighters while on the ground. Up ahead the group could see an ascending staircase with light shining through it; a beacon of hope that it was almost over.

The four were making great progress cutting through the lions but were not moving fast enough to avoid the coming turtle. Alice cast spells on Suzanne and Ron to boost their strength. Thomas and Alice then continued cutting through the lions while Suzanne and Ron fought the turtles. There were too many turtles for them to hope to kill but they needed only try to keep the immediate shoreline clear to keep themselves from being overwhelmed by flaming breath. The turtle monsters were clearly reliant on their scales to protect them. Their subtle moves were enough to keep them safe in most cases but Alice's spell made those moves insufficient. Suzanne and Ron were now able to cut the heads off the turtles with ease.

A group of skeletons had just turned the corner and was running towards the group when Thomas and Alice finally broke through the line of lions. Suzanne and Ron disengaged from the turtles and the four made another dash for the staircase. Flames appeared all around them, produced by turtles' breath and lions' flame but the four persevered.

Finally, the four left the cave, coming out on the top of a steep hill. The group did not stop there; they ran as fast as they dared without risking taking the steep drop. After a minute of running they realized they were not being chased. Their run finally ended and they took a minute to catch their breath. They had made it through the cave alive.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, I leave for five and a half months and they go and change everything.  
I have fond memories of the Cave of the Necrogond. I don't know why; it's a long and frustrating dungeon that debuts the hated Marauders and features monsters with instant death spells. But that's one of the reasons we play Dragon Quest games, isn't it?  
On that note, writing this chapter was much like going through the cave in the game.


	29. Chapter 28: Ramia

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 28: Ramia

"When the moon is full, the lake will show the way."

That phrase was the last hint for the location of the silver orb. The four had braved the Necrogond Mountains and finally arrived at the area they had been told to search. The group could find no sign of any other humans, not even cannibals. Fortunately, they did find a lake.

"It's called the Lake of the Spirit," said Alice. "I'm afraid I know little more than that. We probably wouldn't even know the name of the lake were it not for the Great Wars. Those are the only times in history that the tribes of the Necrogond have had any real contact with the rest of the world."

"Do you know anything about that purple fog that's on the lake?" asked Suzanne. In the middle of the lake was a large cloud of purple fog. Due to the fog, the four could not see across the lake.

"Nothing more than I wouldn't recommend breathing it," answered Alice.

"Could that be where the silver orb is?" asked Suzanne.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Alice. "I guess if I were going to hide a shrine a big cloud of probably poisonous fog would be a good way to do it."

"I disagree," said Thomas. "It's too easy."

"It's always too easy to you," interrupted Ron.

"Hear me out," responded Thomas. "The cloud may keep anything from seeing what's in the middle of the lake but it still looks very suspicious. We have to believe the Archfiend hasn't found this shrine yet, otherwise this whole excursion has been pointless. If there was a lake with a giant purple cloud in its backyard I'd think it'd investigate it. And I'm sure it has some minions that are immune to any poison that may be in that cloud."

"The man at Billville also mentioned the full moon," said Suzanne. "We probably won't even be able to see the purple fog when night falls. Plus, we'd need to build a raft to get to that cloud. Before we do that, let's investigate as much of this land as we can. We'll make sure to come back to the lake every night to watch for the moon. We scheduled our trip around the full moon for a reason, after all."

After escaping the cave the group had gone down the hills to a forest. The forest stretched northeast for a half a day's journey to the Lake of the Spirit. Directly north of the cave was a large lake, larger than the Lake of the Spirit and connected to that lake by a river. There was no large purple cloud in the middle of this lake. Instead, the tallest peaks of the Necrogond Mountains rose out of the water seemingly to the sky. At the top of those peaks was a large castle.

Alice did not need to give a history lesson on the castle; all four of them knew its history. It was named Venorl Castle. Legend had it that a forgotten king had built the structure long ago. The king had sought to unite the tribes of southern Tarasia into one kingdom. His efforts were destroyed by the rise of the Master Archfiend and the First Great War. No human would try to establish a kingdom from Venorl ever again though some of the Necrogond tribes took up residence there on occasion. The Archfiend who began the Second Great War would take up Venorl as the seat of its power before being thrown down by Desmond. Now the current Archfiend was residing in Venorl Castle.

On the third night the moon was completely full. Throughout the night the group watched the Lake of the Spirit for some sign as to where they should go. For hours they watched the lake, paying particular attention to the moon's reflection on the lake. It was Thomas that spotted something strange in the reflection.

"Look at the seaweed sitting on the reflection!" Thomas said suddenly. His sudden outburst startled the other three.

"Keep it down, Tom!" whispered Suzanne. "What do you see?"

"The seaweed!" responded Thomas, now whispering. "See how the seaweed forms such neat, horizontal lines upon the moon's reflection? See the organized breaks in the seaweed, forming columns? See the shapes they form? I've seen those symbols before!"

"Tom's right!" exclaimed Alice, her voice almost breaking out of a whisper. "It looks like writing!"

Ron took a hard look at the seaweed. "You guys are right!" he said. "But it doesn't look like any language I know of."

"I don't know it either," said Alice.

"Tom, you said you've seen those symbols?" asked Suzanne.

"Yes," confirmed Thomas. "It's a dead language; near forgotten to the rest of the world. When Venorl was first built many of the tribes of Southern Tarasia used a common language. They did not write as we do but carved their symbols into trees and rocks. The language is read vertically, starting at the top."

"Can you read it?" asked Suzanne.

"I think so," replied Thomas. "But it will take a bit. I'm not well versed in this language."

"Try to hurry," said Suzanne. "We don't know how long the seaweed will stay like that."

Thankfully, the seaweed stayed still while Thomas tried to decipher the symbols. "The trees that are always green," he said after some time.

"'The trees that are always green?'" echoed Ron. "What does that mean?"

"Evergreens," guessed Suzanne. "Look over there." She pointed at a nearby tree. It was an evergreen, unlike the vast majority of trees nearby.

"What about evergreens?" asked Ron.

"We'll have to wait until morning," declared Suzanne. We'll hardly be able to see the evergreens or their surroundings now. They'll stick out easier in the morning."

* * *

The next morning the group started looking for evergreens. From the lake there was only one evergreen the group could see, the same one Suzanne had pointed to the preceding night. The four examined the evergreen but could find nothing suspicious. Ron saw another evergreen off a small distance away.

"It said 'trees' right?" Ron had asked. "So maybe it's not about one particular tree."

The group walked to the other evergreen and took a look around. Again, there was nothing suspicious about the tree or the area around it. From that tree the group could see one other evergreen besides the one they had just examined. They walked over to this new evergreen. A pattern was quickly established. The four walked to the next evergreen and found that only two evergreens could be seen from this one: the one they had just been at and one other.

"It's a path!" declared Ron. "If we follow the evergreens I bet it'll lead us to the shrine!"

"Which means the exact opposite is happening," said Thomas with a sly grin on his face. "I've seen you at the monster arena. I don't trust your betting." The comment earned a laugh from Suzanne and Alice and a friendly punch from Ron.

The evergreen path led the group for a while before it circled around. Realizing they were heading back the way they came, the group began to doubt the path. However, Alice looked at her map and noticed something.

"See the path we've made here? We've already been to this spot," she said. "We've just intersected our own path. Which means if we look to our left and our right, we should see some evergreens. But they're not there!"

Alice spoke the truth. According to her map, the group ought to have been able to see two evergreens to their left and right. However, the only evergreens they could see were directly behind and in front of them.

After two more hours of following evergreens the four finally arrived at a structure. It was a simple structure made out of wood. But upon the front of the structure was a painting of a shining, silver orb. The group proceeded forward with caution.

The inside of the structure was simple but it still had its charm. Just inside the entrance two rows of lion statues formed a small entrance hallway. At the end of the makeshift entrance hallway were two lit ceremonial torches. Past the hallway was a small garden filled with beautiful flowers. Above the garden the ceiling was open to allow sunlight inside. In the middle of the garden was a small stand upon which sat the silver orb.

A man was standing behind the silver orb. He was older and was dressed in the manner of the tribes of Southern Tarasia, though he dressed in blue. He also wore a blue cloak.

"I'm amazed that you made it this far!" greeted the man. "You can surely defeat the Archfiend!"

Suzanne approached the man cautiously, weary of an illusion or trap. "I take it you are the guardian of the silver orb?"

"Yes," answered the man. "I am Cilson, the last guardian of the silver orb."

"Well met, Cilson," said Suzanne. "I am Suzanne and these are my comrades Ron, Thomas, and Alice. It seems like you were expecting us."

"That's because I was," replied Cilson. "As beautiful as this garden is, I don't spend all day tending it. My people have great talent in the magical arts. And only the best of us become guardians of the silver orb. My ability to tell the future, though limited, is the only reason I've survived to become the last of the guardians."

"What happened to the other guardians?" asked Suzanne. "It was quite difficult for us to find this place and we never would have managed it if we had not been given a hint. If all of you stayed here then how did the other guardians meet their end?"

"You're correct, the magic that protects and hides this place is strong," said Cilson. "Because of that, its effect range is limited. We have to go out hunting to sustain ourselves. It's not an easy task; most natural wildlife has been chased out or killed by the Archfiend's monsters. The other guardians were all lost when they went out hunting. My ability is of great help in finding game and avoiding trouble."

"Forgive me for being insensitive but why couldn't you use your ability to prevent your comrades' deaths?" asked Suzanne.

"I understand your curiosity," answered Cilson. "As I said, my ability is limited. I can only look a short time ahead in my own future, through my own eyes. Until I was the last one, we didn't dare ever leave the orb unguarded. So when I wasn't in the hunting party I was unable to help my comrades. In hindsight, I should have always gone on every hunt but we had thought at the time that my talents would be of more use to try and predict an attack on this shrine. As this shrine has never been found by anything else until today it would seem that was a fatally foolish decision."

"I am sorry if I brought up some bad memories," apologized Suzanne. "If it is any consolation, I likely would have made the same decision. The Archfiend also possesses powerful magic; there was no telling if he would find this place."

"To be honest, that's the worst part of going on a hunt," said Cilson. "You'd think, at my age, the worst part would be the physical exertion but the anxiety of not knowing if I'll find the orb here upon my return hits me every time."

"And so I thank you, Suzanne, Ron, Thomas, and Alice, for coming to take my burden away from me," continued Cilson. "It is time for the guardians of the silver orb to officially go extinct."

"How do you know we do not work for the Archfiend?" asked Suzanne. "Why would you be so eager to hand the silver orb to complete strangers?"

"I appreciate your caution!" said Cilson. "You would have made a great guardian yourself. My ability to see into the future is once again the answer. If you were servants of the Archfiend and I gave you the orb I would have seen you teleport directly to its lair to deliver the orb to it. Instead, you first pull out that intriguing flute of yours to make sure this is the real silver orb. Then you teleport to the town of Assaram to discuss your next course of action."

"Well since you know about the Echoing Flute, I see no reason to delay that portion any further," declared Suzanne. Taking her cue, Ron pulled out the Echoing Flute and played a quick tune. The resulting echoes were quite audible leaving little doubt that the silver orb was right in front of them.

"Please, take the silver orb!" urged Cilson. "Relieve me of my duty at last!"

"It must've been hard for you by yourself all this time," said Suzanne. "We'll do our best not to let you down."

* * *

As Cilson had predicted, the group teleported back to Assaram to try and figure out where the yellow orb, the only one they had yet to find, could be.

"Alright guys," began Suzanne. "Let's go over what we know of the yellow orb. The seers at the Shrine of Courage told us it's also known as the Wayfarer Gem."

"I remember them telling us that it travels the world," grumbled Thomas. "I specifically remember one of them telling us it'd be almost impossible to find."

"Let's not focus on that," said Suzanne. "I remember one of the seers said that when he tried to look at the orb's future the only phrase that came to mind was, 'Departed companions will once again help you.'"

"I remember one of the seers talking about how valuable the orb looked," said Alice. "He kept talking about how it kept changing hands among rich people. So maybe we should go to a few cities and find out if any rich people have recently purchased a valuable item?"

"That'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack," declared Thomas.

"Hey, I got it!" exclaimed Ron. "It's Bill! Let's see if Bill has the orb!"

"Although I have no doubt Bill would buy the orb and try to sell it for a profit he's unlikely to have it," said Thomas. "He's far away from any other wealthy people that may try to sell it."

"It's called the Wayfarer Gem for a reason, Tom!" replied Ron. "I don't think great distance is a problem for it. And think about it, everything fits if it's Bill! He was a companion of ours but now he's departed from us. Like you said, Tom, a valuable looking orb seems like something Bill would buy."

"Well I think it'd be better if we returned to Lancel," said Thomas. "Maybe one of the seers has seen another connection."

"Both good ideas," acknowledged Suzanne. "I say we go to Billville first. We don't lose anything from doing so and if we don't find anything then we can go to the seers at Lancel. Sound like a plan everyone?"

Ron and Alice both agreed. Thomas was more reluctant. "I'd rather not go anywhere near Bill ever again but I suppose that plan doe make sense."

"You did get a bit heated with him last time," said Ron.

"For all his talk I still find it hard to believe he wasn't abusing his power," said Thomas.

* * *

The four made the journey to Billville. The town had not changed much since the group had last been there two months ago. They were quite surprised by this as the town had been experiencing seemingly impossible growth.

"Maybe this means Bill took our advice and let his people relax a bit," suggested Ron.

"Alright, Ron and I will talk to Bill. Tom and Alice, you guys try to find the local hangouts and find what news you can," said Suzanne.

As Suzanne and Ron walked the streets of Billville they found that the people were in much less of a hurry than they had been on their last visit. However, many people still looked very unhappy.

"Ron, is it me or does this town seem more vacant than it did before?" asked Suzanne.

"You're right, Susie," answered Ron. "Maybe now that they're not working so hard more people are staying inside and relaxing?"

The two walked towards the town hall. Bill was nowhere to be found inside the building. Instead, Polce was busy sweeping; he was the only one inside.

"Well Tom will be happy that Bill isn't sitting on the throne," commented Ron.

"Excuse me, Polce," said Suzanne. "Do you know where we could find Bill?"

Polce looked up from his sweeping. The two were surprised to see that there was a sorrowful look on his face. "Oh my, you haven't heard?" he asked.

"Heard what? Did something happen to Bill?" asked Ron, concerned.

"Yes," answered Polce. "Just over a month ago the townspeople decided they'd finally had enough. They stormed in here, seized Bill off his throne, and threw him in jail."

"My goodness!" exclaimed Suzanne, shocked. "Was he really being that bad?"

"He was a bit out of control," answered Polce. "He was always pushing everyone to work harder while he seemed to sit on this throne all day. He made schedules for tasks and projects to be completed and if the work wasn't completed on time he would fine or even jail the workers."

"Wow," said Ron. "The power really did get to his head. How long is he in jail for?"

"Indefinitely," replied Polce. "Meanwhile we haven't been able to figure out who will take his place."

"Why not you?" asked Suzanne. "You were the one to come up with the idea. Couldn't you lead this town?"

"I'm afraid not," said Polce. "Most people see me as being too connected, too friendly with Bill. And now they argue over who can lead. In the meantime the town's growth has stopped. Nothing is being accomplished anymore and some have even left."

"We noticed there seemed to be fewer people on the streets," said Suzanne.

"Anyway, you didn't come here to hear me complain all day," said Polce. "They allow Bill visitors. If you go just down the road you'll find the jail on the southwest end of town."

Suzanne and Ron thanked Polce for the information and went to the jail. As Polce had said, they found Bill inside. He was dressed amazingly well for a prisoner. In fact, he was dressed fancier than he normally was; he was wearing a golden colored shirt with a green mantle upon his shoulders.

"Ah, Susie! Ron! Glad to see some friendly faces!" greeted Bill.

"Hey Bill, I'm liking the prison getup," replied Ron. "If that's standard prison uniform around here this place can't be all that bad, right?"

Bill gave a sigh. "Sadly, this is their idea of a joke. I get several people coming in a day to mock the 'King of Billville.'"

"I'm sorry," apologized Ron. "So you really must've angered everyone here."

"I guess so," said Bill. "Look, I know I did some things wrong. I know I pushed everyone way too hard. But you must believe me, it wasn't for me! Everything I did, I did for the town.

"Polce visits me often and tells me what's going on now," continued Bill. "My less-than-friendly visitors tell me everything has just been getting better and better since they got rid of me but Polce tells me the truth. With nobody to lead there is nothing being done. And without any progress being made the town is starting to fade away, just like I said it would. It's not much right now, Polce tells me the place is still bustling but it'll only get worse from here. As much as they hate me they haven't even renamed the town because they can't decide on a new name."

"You're right," said Suzanne. "Ron and I noticed it on the way over. There are definitely fewer people here. Those that remain don't seem any happier than they were the last time we were here."

"We were just starting to get some real attention too," said Bill. "A wealthy merchant came to town trying to sell a beautiful golden ball. I could see the ball was very valuable. As expensive as it was I thought it would benefit the town if we could show we had some money to spend. I thought that if I bought that ball than other wealthy merchants would start coming here and that could only mean good things for Billville. Unfortunately, when the townspeople found out about it that was what finally convinced them to put me in jail. They were unhappy to find that so much of their tax money was gone."

"Wait, did you say a beautiful golden ball?" asked Suzanne.

"Yes, why do you ask, Susie?" wondered Bill. "You usually don't care about such objects."

"We think it may be one of the orbs," answered Suzanne. "Do you still have it?"

"I put it in a secret compartment behind my throne," replied Bill. "I was planning to put it on display in the theater but the people rose up against me before I had the chance. That turned out to be a good thing; the people really want to get rid of the ball and get the money back. I refused to reveal where it is because I thought it could still do the town some good when everyone settles down. Do you really believe it's one of the orbs you've been searching for?"

"The last one we need, in fact," answered Suzanne.

"Then I want you lot to take it," declared Bill. "You don't need to pay me now but I want you to promise me that you'll have the money for it someday."

"Hey, man, hasn't your love of money gotten you in enough trouble?" asked Ron.

"It's not for me," answered Bill. "The money that paid for that orb came from the townspeople. I'm letting you all have it for only a promise because I realize how important your mission is. Some missing gold won't matter if the Archfiend destroys this town. But if the orb is going to leave this town I want the money that went into buying it to return. It's for the good of the town."

"That's very honorable of you, Bill," said Suzanne. "Although this town may have brought out some bad things in you it would seem it brought out some good as well. If you can promise me that the money will go back to the townspeople, regardless of what project or object you think it should go towards, then I give you my promise that the money will return here."

"Very well," answered Bill with a smile. "Let us seal this agreement."

Suzanne and Bill shook hands on their deal.

* * *

It had been almost a full year since the four had first heard the Portogan legend of the orbs but at long last the group returned to Liamland with the last two orbs. The group teleported to Lancel and took a day to prepare before the _Mad Hound_ made another trip to Liamland.

"Our only problem will be if the men get bored," laughed Captain Marbeley when asked if there would be any problems with traveling to Liamland again. "Trips through those icy waters are beginning to feel mundane to my crew."

The near frozen waters kept the captain and his crew on their toes but they were able to deliver the four to Liamland safely. The group made it back to the shrine without incident. The elven women were still in the shrine singing their song. The four took the silver and yellow orbs and put them on their respective thrones. As before same-colored flames sprung up from the orbs. The elven women, still not missing a beat of their song, did their dance around the two new burning orbs.

After they finished both their dances the two elves returned to the middle of the room in front of the egg. Suddenly their tune became more excited and upbeat. The four realized that they were now singing different words:

_We have waited_

_so long_

_for this day to come._

_Let us rejoice._

_The time has come._

_Awake, awake, the time is high_

_to fly on wings into the sky._

_Higher, higher into the sky!_

And after that, the two elves finally stopped their song. Everything was still for a minute. All sound had ceased; even the burning orbs made no noise. Then the egg in the middle of the shrine shattered and a great light filled the area, obscuring all vision. Finally the silence was broken by a loud bird cry. After the light dissipated the two elven women immediately rushed outside. The four followed them. In the air a large golden bird was flying around.

The bird descended and made a graceful landing on the frozen ground. A beautiful voice talked to them through their minds. _You all have my most sincere gratitude. Thank you for your hard work. Because of your efforts I have returned to life._

"It was our pleasure," answered one of the elven women.

"It is we who should thank you," answered the other. "We can think of no greater gift than to see you fly again."

_You are too kind,_ answered the bird. _You have fulfilled the mission of your line. I will return you to your beloved forests._

The bird then turned to the four. _Forgive me._ She said to them._ I must bring these two back to their homeland. For decades they have watched over me. Every day I could sense them from within my egg. It is the least I can do. Before we leave, I believe some introductions are in order. I am Ramia. Might I learn the names of the brave humans who were able to find all the orbs?_

The four introduced themselves. Then Ramia asked, _When you were here last time you spoke of an Archfiend. You said you needed me to help you gather proof by flying you over the Necrogond. What did you mean?_

"We hope that we were not being presumptuous by counting on your help," began Suzanne. "But the world needs your help again, Ramia. We have made it our mission to try and rally the forces of the world together against the Archfiend that has risen in the Necrogond. We have gained the support of some nations but some others are still skeptical. We had hoped that if you could fly people over the Necrogond they might see the Archfiend's armies. If they saw its armies perhaps that would convince them to join the cause."

_I see_, answered Ramia. _I will not lie to you; I have lost some of my powers and memories. I do not remember_ _much from my battles against the Master Archfiend. I could see the paintings upon the shrine and I found it difficult to believe I was the one in them._

"I was wondering why you seemed smaller and why none of your feathers are blue," commented Ron.

"Ron!" scolded Alice.

_Please, it is alright,_ said Ramia. _He spoke nothing but the truth. I am not what I was in that war. In time I may regain that power but I sense that we do not have that amount of time. I will gladly pledge what power I still have to oppose evil once again. I would guess one of you has a map of the world. Take it out. Before I take these two away we must decide where I will rejoin you._

* * *

The four teleported back to Assaram and waited for Ramia to return. They only had to wait six days, amazing considering the distance she had to travel. The group arranged to meet Ramia away from the town. They did not want news of Ramia's rebirth to become public knowledge just yet.

It was true that Ramia was not as large as she was in the paintings of her but she was still able to carry the four without too much trouble. _Though any more weight and I fear my maneuverability will not be enough to fly over the Archfiend's lair safely,_ Ramia had warned. _I would guess that it has many flying minions. Nevertheless, with your power added to my own and with Xlysinil slain I fear none of them._

The four had told Ramia of how Ortega had died killing Xlysinil. _I am sorry that he died in combat with the dreaded beast. It would seem I owe a debt to your family, Suzanne._

"You don't owe us anything," answered Suzanne.

"Uh, Ramia," began Ron. "I don't know how to ask you this but I was curious: what's it like to die?" The question earned Ron an elbow from Alice.

_I do not know that I can call it death now that I have returned from it,_ answered Ramia. _Though I suppose I have no better word to name the event by. Of the memories I have retained from my past life those of my final battle against Xlysinil are some of the most vivid and unbroken. I remember terrible wounds and terrible pain. But after the killing blow I remember nothing. Next thing I knew I was inside of my egg._

It took only a day and a half for Ramia to fly the group from Assaram to the skies above the Archfiend's lair. Ramia was able to fly faster and higher in the air than any other bird. Although she had lost some of her powers she had retained magic that protected the four in high altitudes. With this Ramia was able to keep herself concealed until they were flying over Venorl Castle. At that point they had to descend to get a good look at the Archfiend's forces. What they saw horrified them.

"Oh my…" gasped Suzanne, unable to finish her sentence.

"This is impossible!" said Ron, barely above a whisper.

"We're doomed," said Thomas.

"This…this just can't be!" screamed Alice.

Down below a sea of monsters stretched for miles. The four had read descriptions of great armies throughout history and seen pictures of these armies made by witnesses but none of it compared to the sight before them. Perhaps most horrifying of all was that this sea of monsters was being fed by streams of monsters coming up the mountains from all directions.

"They're not even moving," noted Ron, still unable to bring volume to his voice. "They're just standing there in a huge group. How are they not fighting? How are they not dying of hunger?"

"The Archfiends' signature ability is to subvert the laws of nature," said Thomas. "Monsters' instincts are overruled and they are sustained by the Archfiend's magic. But no story of the Archfiends' power describes it as being this great."

"Can the united forces of humanity even stand a chance against a force like this?" asked Suzanne.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, I finally made my first retcon! Nothing too big, I wouldn't think too many would even notice it.


	30. Chapter 29: War Begins

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 29: War Begins

Emperor Vilisik of the Romalian Empire sat impatiently at a large table. The room he was sitting in was very basic; furnished with nothing more than the large table and simple chairs going all around. The room was part of a modest mansion on an island of the Batay Sea. The mansion was the best neutral site for the meeting that was about to take place. Most would say it was hardly a fitting place for what was about to happen. However, considering the nature of the events that were soon to occur Vilisik did not think that anyone involved would be focusing on the room décor.

To Vilisik's right sat Queen Calasta of Isis. Vilisik could only imagine that as bad as the past two weeks had been for him they had been much worse for her. Two weeks ago Suzanne and her party revealed that they had revived the godbird Ramia. Suzanne and Ramia then traveled to the different nations and had Ramia show them the Archfiend's armies. Vilisik had hardly been able to sleep since he saw the Archfiend's power.

Romaly's military strength was as good as that of any other nation. Considering the empire's poor relationship with Portoga, another powerful nation, Vilisik and his predecessors had been certain to keep their country's strength up. But as great as his forces were, Vilisik knew they were nothing compared to the army he had seen gathered around Venorl Castle.

Vilisik began to think about the might of the other nations. Historically, Isis was known for their determined defense of the desert. They were quite adapt at fighting in the heat and dealing with the monsters of the desert. But Vilisik was sure the Archfiend had monsters that were accustomed to heat that the warriors of Isis had not seen before. And Vilisik was also sure that the Isisian military would be much less effective outside of the desert.

Also seated at the table was Timik, a representative of the city-state of Jipang. Vilisik expected little help from Jipang. They had been terrorized by a single, powerful monster with no minions or army. Nevertheless the people of Jipang were known for their craftsmanship and it was said that some of the old, forgotten techniques for making equipment were still known to their smiths. Any help was welcome at this point.

"Now announcing His Majesty, King Crayton the Fourth of Samanao."

The man looked in pretty good shape for the horror he had gone through. That said fatigue and weakness were still visible on the otherwise proud face of King Crayton. Although they undoubtedly would be of more help than Jipang, Vilisik did not think he could count on much from the Samanaons. The troll had left Samanao a wreck and reports indicated that Crayton was still dealing with rebellions. Vilisik had to hand it to the Archfiend; even with such an overwhelmingly large force it was still smart enough to weaken its opposition before war began

"Now announcing His Majesty, King Rogest of Eginbear."

In walked the friendy king of Eginbear. Vilisik had never trusted Rogest. The emperor suspected that Rogest's cheerful demeanor was an act to lure people off guard. But Vilisik had to admire the man's resilience. Rogest walked into the room and immediately took up small talk with the other rulers. He did not seem bothered in the slightest by the matter they had all gathered to discuss. Vilisik also had to respect the might of Eginbear. Though Rogest would normally assure people that Eginbear had no interest in war Vilisik knew that Eginbear had a great military. If Rogest agreed to join them it would make Vilisik feel a bit better but there was still one more nation Vilisik thought was critical to their efforts.

"Now announcing His Majesty, King Saldor of Portoga."

Vilisik could not remember ever being happy to see Saldor. However, his presence now was most welcome. Portoga's strength rivaled that of the empire. Their navy was without match. Now all the major powers had gathered. With their combined might they had a chance against the Archfiend. But Vilisik knew well that just because Saldor had shown up did not mean he would cooperate.

Vilisik looked around the table. Almost everyone that was invited had arrived. An invitation had been extended to Queen Talia of the elves. As Vilisik expected, Talia declined the invitation. However, Vilisik was surprised when Talia did decide that the elves would contribute some magical items should an alliance be made. Apparently, the elves had great respect for Ramia and her words carried great weight with Talia.

Besides Talia, one other person had been invited but had yet to show. But given who this person represented and the already fragile climate in the meeting room Vilisik wondered if it was best that this person not appear. However, as soon as Vilisik completed that thought the bard came in again.

"Now announcing His Majesty, King Neil of Aliahan."

It was the first time Vilisik had ever seen the ruler of Aliahan. It was believed that with the odds stacked against humanity they could not afford to exclude anyone who could help. Old hatreds and mistrust would have to be put at least far enough to the side to deal with this greater, mortal threat. Despite having never met his peers inside the room, Neil walked in with dignity and greeted all of them with a king's grace. Most of the other rulers returned his greeting. However, Vilisik noticed, as he was sure everyone else did, that Saldor refused to speak or even look at Neil.

"I believe everyone has arrived who is expected to arrive," declared Vilisik. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, we shall," answered Saldor. "And I exercise my right as the eldest of those assembled to speak first." The right Saldor referenced was common in international meetings and was believed to have originated in the Second Great War.

"This meeting is a waste of time," declared Saldor as he stood up. "We have all seen the Archfiend's army. How many of you truly believe that even our combined forces can stand against them in the field? Better for us all to tend to our own countries. The world is a big place and the Archfiend will have to spread its military significantly to take it all. The best chance for any one of us is to raise our defenses and hope the monster tires before it reaches his or her country."

Saldor sat down, indicating that his opening statement was finished. "With all due respect," replied Crayton, "Your strategy plays right into our enemy's hands. I have seen what the Archfiend can do to a country that shuts itself away. While you build up your walls, the Archfiend will send its agents to corrode your nation from within. The Archfiend has only gained so much power because we have been too distracted by our differences to cooperate against it. That must be turned around now!"

It was Rogest's turn, "Great points by both you fine gentlemen. I am afraid I must agree with King Saldor. No doubt an alliance between all our great nations would be quite glorious. But there is a time for glory and a time for being practical. And what is most practical is for Eginbear to mind to its own business as it always has."

Rogest took his seat. It was difficult to tell who between Timik and Neil was older, which would decide who would go next. Most of the room looked at Timik to go next. Timik decided to defer giving his opinion until later. Neil did the same. Vilisik had a feeling this was for the best. Little weight would be given to Timik's words and, despite how courteous most of the other rulers had been to him, Vilisik believed the rest would look unfavorably on anything Neil had to say.

Vilisik thought it was most to his advantage to go last and so he deferred as well. This brought up Queen Calasta. "So this is the thanks that the Kingdom of Isis receives? We all know what nation the Archfiend will target first! It is easy for you all to run back to your homes hoping that we provide enough of a blood sacrifice to the monsters to keep them from your doorsteps. I hear this cowardly bunch speak and I wonder about the Second Great War myself."

"For if you remember, Isis came to the aid of the alliance against Desmond," continued Calasta scathingly. "King Saldor, I know you of all people remember the Battle of the Sandswept Plains! Do you think it would have gone so well without Isis's aid? Have all of you forgotten that Desmond had no interest in the desert? My people could have sided with him. At the time it seemed like the smart move. By siding with your peoples Isis put itself at risk. Yet Isis still came to your aid in your hour of need. But now I wonder if that was a mistake. Would the tyrant Desmond have been any worse than you cowards?"

Though Calasta had not sat down to indicate she was done speaking, Saldor rose up to answer her. "Cowards, you say? Perhaps you are correct, Queen Calasta. My duty is not to be brave. My duty is not to be honorable. My duty is not to repay a supposed debt to Isis nor is it to protect the world. My duty is to protect Portoga and its people! And I will do whatever is necessary to protect my people! If Portoga and its people survive then regardless of what I have to do or what the cost is I will have no regrets!"

With Saldor speaking out of turn the other rulers began to rise and speak as well. Vilisik rose from his seat but, unlike the others, did not join the argument. Even Timik and Neil, who had seemed timid a moment ago, joined the shouting. Vilisik slowly circled the room as the other rulers argued. After another minute, he finally decided to make his move.

"Attention!" boomed Vilisik, his voice somehow carrying above the noise made by the others. Everyone else in the room stopped shouting in response, allowing Vilisik to bring his voice to a normal speaking level. "Everyone, I thank you for your patience but I am now ready to make my opening statement."

The other rulers were still agitated from their arguing. Although they decided to hear Vilisik out none of them returned to their seats. Nevertheless, Vilisik continued, "Queen Calasta was correct about one thing: we are all afraid. I do not mean that as an insult; only a complete fool would not be afraid after seeing what we have."

"The question is: will the Archfiend tire out and settle after destroying a couple nations? I say to all of you that the monster did not raise the army that has kept us awake at nights to settle for half the world. It wants the entire world and it will not tire and it will not relent until we are all wiped out."

"We all know that if the enemy commander is taken out it deals a huge blow to the enemy army. We also know that this is truer than ever against the Archfiend's army. It is the magic of the Archfiend, and that magic alone, that holds that army together. As horrible as Desmond was it has to be said that he knew how to defeat an Archfiend's army. Destroy the Archfiend and we destroy its army."

"Easy for you to say," cut in Saldor. "I have seen both the armies of last two Archfiends. He may have been a military genius but even Desmond could not have cut through to this Archfiend. They are not idiots. This Archfiend will not put itself in danger."

"But we have something that Desmond did not," said Vilisik. "The phoenix Ramia has come back to life and has agreed to join our fight. With her help we can bypass a large portion of the enemy forces."

"It is a long shot, I will admit it. But is it any longer a shot than to go home and hope the big bad monster just goes away? Will we timidly abandon our fellow human beings and hope our nation is not the next target? Or will we take the fight to our enemy? Will we put up a fight to be remembered? We know the enemy's greatest weakness! We have an ace in the hole! I say we go out there, together, and bring the full might of humanity against those monsters! If it is our fate to die, let us go down in the history of monsters as the greatest horror they ever had to deal with! Let us become the cause of their nightmares!"

Vilisik did not take his seat after his speech concluded but looked around the room at the other rulers, challenging them with his gaze just as he had just challenged them with his words. Rogest was the first to respond.

"Wonderful speech!" congratulated Rogest, clapping as he did so. "Full of passion and vigor! How could I let such emotional words go to waste? Very well, Emperor, you have my support and the support of Eginbear."

Internally, Vilisik was incredibly relieved. But he had not won everyone over yet. He kept his relief from his face as he continued to look around the room. As his gaze fell on Crayton the man spoke up, "You already had my support but a stirring speech all the same." Calasta and Timik gave similar replies. Neil only nodded when Vilisik looked at him but Vilisik understood that to mean that Aliahan would cooperate as well.

The room turned to Saldor. Everyone knew it would be almost impossible to take on the Archfiend without Portoga's considerable might. Saldor seemed as though he were in an even sourer mood than he had been when Calasta had begun insulting him.

After a moment, Saldor spoke, "I give no guarentees and I do not pledge Portoga's support. Nevertheless, let us bring in our generals, our best military minds, and the godbird Ramia. If we can come up with a plan that I believe has more than a fool's chance at succeeding then Portoga will join this alliance."

* * *

"Well guys, our journey's finally over," said Suzanne.

"Yeah," answered Ron. "Looking back on it all, I can't believe all the stuff we did."

"That's because we're the best!" exclaimed Alice. "Nobody else could've done what we did. We brought the nations together!"

"We accomplished a lot," agreed Thomas. "We've given humanity a chance. Now comes the toughest part: fighting for our survival."

"Tom's right, it doesn't get any easier from here," said Suzanne. "Are you guys going to join the alliance army?"

"You better believe it!" exclaimed Ron. "Those monsters won't know what hit 'em!"

"The emperor told us that our king is here," mentioned Suzanne. "Are you going to talk to him as soon as they're done meeting?"

"I don't know," answered Ron. "We all know how puny Aliahan's military is compared to the other nations. And I don't think the other nations have forgotten their mistrust of us. I don't think Aliahan will be given any important missions. I don't want to be stuck guarding supply lines or something like that. Put me in the vanguard!"

Thomas scoffed, "Reckless as always. Are you so eager to kill that you would put yourself in that kind of danger?"

"Hey, someone has to be on the front lines," defended Ron. "Why not me? I can do some damage. And better to look forward to it with excitement than sulk. Poor morale can do more damage than monster claws after all."

"I take it you won't be joining him up there, Tom?" asked Suzanne.

"Not if I can help it," answered Thomas. "I'll support the army from the healing tents."

"I think you're wasting an opportunity, Tom," said Ron. "Your swordwork's really come along! You're probably better than most soldiers! And you could save a lot of lives if you were right there when they got injured."

"I will do whatever is needed of me," said Thomas. "If my commander decides I would be more useful in combat I will join. But I believe I can be of most help in the healing tents. I am not as skilled at healing in combat as I am outside of it."

"How about you, Alice?" asked Suzanne.

"I don't know," answered Alice. "With my magic and combat skills, I certainly have a lot of options. I think I'd be at my best training soldiers and mages. That way I could spread my skills over the widest range and hopefully I could teach a lot of people how to stay alive out there. What about you, Susie? I'm sure you already have a plan."

"Believe it or not, I don't," said Suzanne with a chuckle. "I never thought about what would happen after our quest. I guess I naively thought our job would be over, as though the Archfiend would catch wind that humanity was uniting against it and run away. When we met Ramia I felt relieved. For some reason, I felt like we wouldn't have to fight anymore."

"You've done a lot," said Thomas. "You brought this all together. You led us through this whole journey. You gave a lot of yourself; more than anybody. Nobody can look down on you if you don't think you have anything left."

"Thanks, Tom," said Suzanne. "But I began this journey for a reason: to save humanity from the Archfiend. Uniting the nations was a large part of that but it was only a part. I'm not going to hand off the responsibility now. I don't know what the best way for me to serve is. But I'll figure it out."

"We know you will, Susie," said Ron.

"Hey! Here comes Emperor Vilisik!" pointed out Alice. The emperor had been giving the four updates during every recess in the discussions.

"He doesn't look very happy," commented Thomas.

"How are the discussions going, Your Highness?" asked Suzanne when the emperor had reached the group.

"We have come up with a plan," he answered. "A plan good enough to convince King Saldor to formally join our alliance."

"You do not sound very enthusiastic about this plan," pointed out Suzanne.

"I agree that it gives us our best chance," answered the emperor. "But even if we are successful the cost will be high."

The emperor began explaining the plan, "As expected, our best chance of winning the coming war is to assassinate the Archfiend. Our plan depends on Ramia and the monster's own intelligence. In the Second Great War Desmond was able to defeat the Archfiend quickly. He had his main force engage the enemy head-on while a smaller force of elite fighters broke off from the main group. They snuck around the main enemy force and rushed at Venorl Castle."

"From what we know of Archfiends they are smart enough not to risk themselves by going into the open field of battle but arrogant enough to fight a small group of humans by themselves. Desmond took advantage of this. When his small force made it to Venorl instead of recalling a portion of his army to crush them the Archfiend fought them itself. From what we know, the Archfiend would consider it an insult to retreat from a small group of humans."

"As I mentioned, we plan to use the Archfiend's intelligence against it. We believe that this Archfiend knows what led to the downfall of its predecessor. So we plan to maneuver as though we plan to copy Desmond's strategy from fifty years ago. Our hope is that the Archfiend, rather than taking the same chance that the last one did, will quickly move some of its forces to crush both the main forces and the side force. This will leave Venorl itself relatively empty."

"This is where Ramia comes in. Ramia will participate in battle with the main force so as to disguise our true intentions. We will keep her out of strenuous battle but have her participate enough to be noticed by the enemy. Once the time is right Ramia will begin transporting the most elite fighters we have to Venorl Castle. We believe it is best if she takes five at a time."

"Five!?" exclaimed Thomas. "I'm not a student of military history but didn't Desmond have dozens of warriors with him when he reached Venorl? And even then he barely won with his life!"

"We do not expect five warriors to storm Venorl," answered the emperor. "Ramia will keep making trips back to the main force to pick up more. The initial five need only hold their position and survive long enough for backup to arrive. In our discussions we believe Ramia can manage three trips before the Archfiend recalls some of its forces and they arrive back at Venorl."

"That makes fifteen," said Ron. "Fifteen of humanity's best against Venorl and the Archfiend. Some might call that…" He cut himself off.

"A suicide mission," finished Suzanne.

"Which makes what I am about to ask your four even tougher," continued Emperor Vilisik. "We need our very best at Venorl to have a chance of pulling this off. I have seen and heard about the deeds you four have accomplished. To be frank, you are the best. I request that the four of you join the team that will infiltrate Venorl Castle and destroy the Archfiend."

There was a moment of silence while the four thought about what the emperor had asked of them. Suzanne quickly came to a decision.

"I will do it," she declared. "I cannot speak for the other three but I have made up my mind. This mission is the most important part of the coming war. I would be honored to take part in it."

"Well then you can count me in too!" exclaimed Ron. "Can't get any further to the front than storming the enemy's castle after all!"

"I guess that means I better come along," said Alice, feigning exasperation. "You guys would be lost without me after all."

"As though we won't be lost with you along!" laughed Ron. "Do you have a map of Venorl?"

"Well…no. But I can make one!" answered Alice.

"The lot of you will get sliced and diced the moment you land," said Thomas with a scowl. "You'll need someone there to patch you up."

"Are you volunteering?" asked Suzanne.

"I must. There aren't too many healers that can keep up with you three," answered Thomas.

"It sounds like you all have made up your mind!" said the emperor. "And here I thought I might have to talk you into it. Good, hopefully the other rulers are able to talk their elite warriors into joining so easily."

* * *

With an alliance created and a plan formed the nations of the world quickly moved their militaries towards the Necrogond. Ramia and magic were the keys. Ramia was able to transport an advanced group of warriors, including Suzanne's group, into the Necrogond. Included in this group were a number of wizards. The wizards worked tirelessly to establish a teleportation waypoint for the army while being protected by Ramia and the warriors. Normally a month long process; this time it only took two and a half weeks due to the expertise of those involved. It was during this time that Alice celebrated her 19th birthday. She spent the day working on the waypoint.

With the waypoint in place the moving of the alliance armies went a lot quicker. Wizards worked tirelessly in teleporting groups of soldiers to the Necrogond. The placing of the waypoint was a key decision. It had to be far enough away to keep the Archfiend from destroying it before enough soldiers arrived to establish a camp and bolster the waypoint's defense. Yet it had to offer a tactically advantageous position for the battle to come.

While the alliance army established itself in the Necrogond some of humanity's best warriors and mages secretly met to spar and compete against each other. The rulers were very careful who they revealed their plan to; if word of the plan reached the Archfiend everything would be for naught. Yet they also had to decide who would make the Venorl strike team and in what order the warriors would be transported. The first wave had to be the strongest to give them the best chance of surviving in Venorl while they waited for reinforcements to arrive. Most of the rulers insisted that his or her warriors should be on the first team.

The four participated in several of these contests. All four were involved in a number of swordfights while all but Ron also competed in several tests of magical skill. Ron, already a master swordsman, improved rapidly during this time. Having time to adjust his fighting style to his new equipment without actually fighting for his life helped him immensely. Alice gained recognition for her skill as a sage and her magical abilities quickly gained recognition in the camp. Thomas became known for his rare blend of healing magic and swordplay; a man who could support his comrades and join them in the fray. Finally, Suzanne's varied skills and stories of her leadership from the group's quest put her in strong consideration for the first team.

Just over a week after the waypoint had been established, the most accomplished military leaders and commanders held a secret meeting to decide on the teams that would invade Venorl. They had carefully watched and analyzed all the warriors that had been presented to them. Unknowing of when the decision would be reached, the warriors could only help out around camp and wait.

"The nerve of him!" exclaimed Alice. "We're about to enter into the most important battle of our lives and he still has only one thing on his mind!" Ron was a short distance away talking with a woman.

"Um, I believe she approached him," said Suzanne. "She seemed to have something important to talk with him about."

"What matters of importance could she possibly have to speak with him about? She doesn't even know him!" protested Alice.

"Alice, calm down!" answered Suzanne. "You're letting your nerves get to you."

"She seems to have taken an interest in his sword," observed Thomas. Suzanne and Alice gave him weird looks until he pointed back towards Ron. Ron had taken out the blade he had found in the Necrogond and both he and the woman were observing it closely. The woman seemed emotional as she looked at the weapon. After some time, she hugged Ron and walked away. Ron walked towards the other three.

"What was that about?" asked Alice, some irritation in her voice still.

"That was the wife of the man who made this sword," answered Ron, not seeming to notice Alice's foul mood. "They're from Jipang. I guess her husband was a master craftsman. She was absolutely sure this sword was of his work."

"How did it end up in the Necrogond?" asked Suzanne.

"I guess he only liked to work with the very best materials," answered Ron. "Sometimes he had to go to some very dangerous places to find them. Apparently, he was quite skilled with weapons and magic and so was usually able to take care of himself. Last she heard, he embarked on a journey to gather materials and disappeared. The fact that we found his sword would indicate that he met his end in the Necrogond. She told me that he called this sword the Sword of Thunder. Makes sense; the explosions this thing makes sound like thunder."

"What's she doing out here?" asked Thomas. "Doesn't she know how dangerous it is here?"

"Apparently she's a decent fighter herself," replied Ron. "She's a part of the Jipang military. She saw me in a couple of my fights and said she had to confirm that I had her husband's sword."

A young man, around the same age as the four, approached them. "I have an urgent message for Suzanne, Ron, Thomas, and Alice," he declared. He handed one scroll to each of the four and quickly left. The four opened their scrolls and read them.

"They're splitting us up?" asked Alice after she had finished reading. The scrolls said that Ron and Alice would be included in the first group to Venorl while Suzanne and Thomas would be in the second group.

"This sucks! Who did they pick over you two?" asked Ron, re-reading his scroll.

"It would seem Viron of Eginbear was chosen for cleric of the first team," answered Thomas. "A wise choice. There isn't a cleric more skilled in the healing arts."

"Bah! I saw the man," said Ron with a scowl. "He's way past his prime. He'll only slow us down. Let's see who was given command of this group."

"Commander Glennard of Portoga," said Alice with disdain. "He can't use magic like Susie can! I've never even heard of him commanding mages in the field!"

"But he did beat me in a swordfight and he has a lot of experience in command," said Suzanne. "You don't know that he's never commanded mages. He's been through a lot of battles; I would be surprised to find out that there wasn't a mage in his unit for any of them. The first team will do well under him."

"All the same, how could they break us up like this?" asked Alice. "We've been fighting together for over a year and a half now! We know what each other is going to do, how to work together! We're best when we're together!"

"Listen, this isn't about us," said Suzanne. "This is about the mission. And the best military minds in the world decided these were the teams that were going to work. Glennard and Viron are both highly accomplished. They won't let you down. And we'll always be a team. Tom and I will be right behind you out there."

"Susie's right," agreed Thomas. "We went on this journey to bring humanity together. We'd be hypocrites if we let this bother us."

"You have a point," replied Alice. "Well, Ron, we should probably find everyone else on this team. We're going to want to get some practice in with them before the big battle."

* * *

It was not long before the Archfiend moved its forces against the alliance army. A mere two days after the strike teams were decided scouts came to the camp and announced the enemy was advancing. The camp roused itself and prepared for the battle of their lives.

The battle was lost almost as soon as it began when the army saw the great host in front of them. Thankfully, the officers and commanders of the army were able to bolster their troops. Ramia flew ahead of the army and used her magic to attack and destroy a large number of monsters. Seeing the godbird in action did wonders for the army's morale.

The army managed to take up a position between two mountains which bottlenecked a large portion of the enemy army, keeping them from taking advantage of their vastly superior numbers. Of course, many monsters were able to cross or fly over mountains, putting great pressure on the humans' flanks. Once again, Ramia proved invaluable. Although unable to take on the sheer number of enemies coming at them she was able to warn the human armies of approaching danger.

The early phases of the plan were executed excellently. A small force branched off from the main army and began circling around the battlefield. Ramia helped clear the way for the small force which allowed them to move without encountering much opposition. After some time, the enemy clearly tired of Ramia's constant interference on the battlefield and sent a concentrated force of flying monsters after her. Ramia was easily able to escape the aerial strike force and led them into the firing path of the archers and siege weaponry that had been designed to take groups of such monsters down.

For two days the battle went as well as could be hoped for the forces of humanity. Their strategic position minimized casualties and allowed them to take out large numbers of the attacking monsters. The side force reported that they were almost ready to launch an attack on Venorl Castle. However, the human commanders knew that a catastrophic loss was just around the corner. Despite their gains, their efforts had made but a scratch in the monstrous army. And the human warriors had to deal with fatigue while the monsters' numbers were so great that often a monster would slay a tired comrade to get it out of the way. Many monsters did not seem to ever tire.

On that third day Ramia relayed a message to the commanding officers that the side force had begun their attack and, as was expected, a large force of creatures left Venorl Castle to crush them. Ramia returned to the main force and the five members of the first strike team assembled. The time had come to launch their plan.

Ron and Alice climbed onto Ramia's back along with their three teammates. Suzanne and Thomas, along with many others, were there to see them off.

"Be careful out there!" said Suzanne. "We'll be with you again before you know it!"

"Please stay alive!" called Thomas.

"Relax, you guys!" called Ron back. "The Archfiend won't even know what hit it!"

"You can say that again!" said Alice enthusiastically. "We'll try not to kill the beast before you guys get there!"

Suzanne laughed. "Oh no, by all means, if you can take the thing down before we get there I won't be angry!"

The four shared some nervous laughter, a forced laughter that did not hide the anxiety they all felt. Ramia finally took to the skies and the first team was off.

_Do not fear_, said Ramia as she began flying away. _I am sure they will fight valiantly. Be ready for my return._

* * *

Author's Note: Must be a Black Friday miracle for me to finally update. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.


	31. Chapter 30: The Archfiend

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest III does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 30: The Archfiend

_I am close_, came Ramia's voice in the heads of the members of the second team. _Be prepared to leave immediately._

Suzanne and Thomas waited anxiously in the spot that Ramia was to return to. Along with them were their three teammates: Captain Gileen of Portoga, a wizard from the Romalian Empire named Wilnoc of the Gold Robe, and Moonarrow who was also called the Mercenary King. Ramia landed and the five quickly climbed onto her back.

"How is the first team doing?" asked Suzanne.

_We made a clean landing according to the plan_, answered Ramia. _But I could sense a large number of monsters moving towards them as I left. We have not a moment to spare._

Ramia took off and they flew towards Venorl Castle with all the speed the phoenix could muster. Down below, the group could see that the battle was starting to turn against the humans. They were getting driven out of the mountain pass and this was exposing more of their flanks. If the humans were driven completely out of the pass the monsters could begin to surround them and it would be a slaughter from there.

Seeing Ramia in the sky some aerial monsters flew up to try and attack her. But Ramia's speed proved to be far too much for them. Then some monsters flew up in front of her to cut her off. She cast lightning spells to pick several of them off, giving her a hole to fly through. None of the monsters that tried to engage her were able to impede her progress.

They reached Venorl Castle and noted grimly that there seemed to be a lot of activity below. _I do not sense our comrades at the drop-off point_, said Ramia.

"From what you have told us you can only sense the living," pointed out Moonarrow.

"Ramia, can you sense a pattern in the enemy movements?" asked Suzanne. "Is there a point or area they are converging at?"

_Yes,_ answered Ramia. _They appear to be moving inside Venorl Castle. I cannot yet tell if our comrades are there. There is too much life for me to sift through at this distance._

"That's where the first team is," declared Suzanne. "They must have been pushed from the drop-off point into the castle. Ramia, take us towards the castle."

Ramia did as she was told and brought the second team to the castle. _I can sense them now,_ reported Ramia. _They are underground. They appear to be engaged with a large group of monsters. Despite that, only a few monsters appear to be fighting them at a time. They must be in a narrow hallway._

"They likely found a spot that provides a good defensive position but has made it impossible to escape," said Suzanne. "Ramia, bring us down."

_Very well,_ responded Ramia. _I will drop you off and then fly for the third team._

"No, you'll stay to help us, at least for a little bit," corrected Suzanne.

"That's not what our plan is!" protested Gileen.

"Our plan is to bring as many of our best fighters as we can against the Archfiend," returned Suzanne. "There's too many monsters down there. Without Ramia's help we may lose an entire team's worth of people by the time she returns. That would do us little good."

"Wilnoc, if we were to fall you could slow our descent, correct?" asked Suzanne. The wizard nodded. "Very well. Ramia will drop us from mid-air on the castle's side. Dip down low enough so that the walls will obscure our jump from the enemy's eyes. Then, Ramia, I want you to act as though you intend to storm the castle by yourself."

"You're putting her at too great a risk! She's too valuable to our operation!" yelled Gileen.

"I am well aware of that," responded Suzanne. "Ramia knows how to take care of herself. And the enemy has been taking a great interest in defeating her. Her presence should draw a good deal of the enemies away. That should help us sneak in and help the first team. Ramia, can you do this?"

_I will do what I can_, said Ramia.

Ramia flew next to one of the walls of Venorl Castle and dropped the five humans off. Then she gave a loud shriek and flew at the entrance of the castle. As expected, a number of enemies immediately stopped what they were doing to engage the phoenix. The monsters included maroon skeleton monsters and turquoise shadows; monsters that Suzanne's party had seen in the caves of the Necrogond. Some moving, stone statues also came out of the castle to fight Ramia.

The monsters' attacks proved wildly ineffective against Ramia. The phoenix could fly out of their reach while raining down magic on them. The only thing they had that could reach Ramia was the shadows' killing magic which did not affect Ramia at all. With the monsters leaving the castle distracted, Suzanne and the others quickly moved for the entrance.

Upon reaching the castle entrance the humans were spotted by some of the monsters. Most of the monsters decided to ignore the five so they could rush out and attack Ramia. However, Suzanne correctly guessed that some of the shadows would try to take some quick shots at the five with their potent magic. Using magic and Moonarrow's archery skills they were able to bring them down before they completed their spells. Unfortunately, this earned them the attention of some of the other monsters. Suzanne realized that they were in a bad position to fight the crowd.

"Ramia! Help us out!" she shouted. Ramia obliged by calling down lightning on one of the monsters that was about engage the humans. This drew the group's attention away from the humans. The five were able to sneak inside one of the buildings on the interior of the castle that the monsters had been converging in.

The building consisted of two large chambers connected by a wide hallway. Since all the monsters had vacated the building to fight Ramia this left the interior empty. In the second room there were two staircases: one ascending and one descending. Remembering that Ramia said the first team was underground the five took the descending staircase.

On the right was a narrow hallway from which the five could hear the sounds of fighting. They rushed forward and soon found a line of monsters: skeletons and statues. Suzanne and Gileen fell upon the beasts with their weapons. The monsters were distracted, allowing the two warriors to strike crushing blows against the enemies immediately in front of them. Moonarrow sent some missiles at the wounded creatures. Wilnoc brought sharp spires of ice from the ground while Thomas conjured up a small tornado and sent it through the crowd. The five's opening assault brought down a number of enemies.

The battle was not so easy after that. Suzanne and Gileen brought down two more monsters as they tried to turn around but soon had their hands full fending off a couple of statues. The statues were not as fast as the skeletons nor did they have any breath weapons but their tough skin made them difficult to bring down. The thin hallway also made it difficult to dodge their strong blows. However, Suzanne and Gileen were able to stand their ground which allowed Moonarrow, Thomas, and Wilnoc to unleash mayhem on the monsters without fear.

A male human's voice came from the end of the hall, "The monsters are being attacked from behind!"

Alice's voice could be heard in response, "It must be the second team!"

"Alright! Reinforcements!" came Ron's excited voice.

"I can hear the first team!" yelled Suzanne to the others. "We're almost there!"

Emboldened, the two teams fought with added ferocity. The skeletons tried to unleash their burning breath on the second team. Suzanne and Gileen took the brunt of the breath and were paralyzed. However, Thomas was easily able to undo the effects while Moonarrow and Wilnoc used their ranged abilities to keep the skeletons from killing the two front-line fighters.

One of Alice's explosions rocked the other end of the hallway. Soon, Ron and Commander Glennard came around the corner, cutting down monsters as they went. The monsters were caught in a pincer attack. A few more blasts of magic combined with the sword-work of the four warriors brought an end to the fight.

"Good to see you're alright!" said Suzanne as the two teams met. "Where are Viron and Theron?"

"Dead," answered Glennard. "Bad luck. Viron fell first. One of the shadows killed him with their magic. Theron was run through by a skeleton. With Viron already gone, none of us could help him."

"Alas, the time to grieve must come later," declared Suzanne. "We have to go back upstairs and let Ramia know she can leave!" said Suzanne.

"She hasn't left yet!?" asked Glennard.

"This woman had Ramia stay here and fight!" yelled Gileen accusingly.

"What!?" exclaimed Glennard. "Are you crazy!?"

"There was no other way to get to you!" answered Suzanne.

"Bah! Let us hasten to Ramia's aid!" said Glennard, taking the lead. Unfortunately they would turn out to be too late. As soon as the eight humans returned to the ground floor they heard the phoenix give out a cry. Unlike its other cries, this one was one of pain.

_My comrades!_ cried out Ramia. She was obviously trying to keep her mental voice calm but it nevertheless betrayed the pain she was feeling. _My wings have been seriously injured. I will not be able to keep flying for long. I must retreat. Do not worry about me. Even on the ground I can fight and evade the enemy._

The eight returned to the castle entrance and saw what it was that had put Ramia in peril. In the air were half a dozen wingless dragons. These dragons had blue scales and were breathing out powerful blasts of ice and snow at the distressed phoenix.

"I told you that some dragons prefer the cold," said Alice to Ron. Her voice lacked the usual joy it had when Alice was proven correct and Ron lacked the motivation to make a retort.

A couple of large fireballs suddenly came from the top of the castle walls and flew at Ramia in the distance. The eight looked up and saw a collection of robed figures on the battlements.

"Those aren't monsters; they're human," noted Moonarrow as he looked at the robed figures.

"You stupid bitch!" yelled Gileen, rounding on Suzanne. "You've killed us all!"

Suzanne did not need to be told of the mistake she made. She realized what had happened: the Archfiend had hidden the dragons and spellcasters as a trap for Ramia. The Archfiend realized that Ramia was the only one that could reach Venorl and the only hope for the alliance.

"I'll take full responsibility for my decision later," said Suzanne. "But now's not the time! We have to continue the mission!"

"There is no mission!" answered Glennard, furious. "Didn't you hear Ramia? Even if she can escape those beasts she won't be able to fly back to our camp! The third team isn't coming!"

"We still have to go onward!" said Suzanne.

"You're not in command, and thank goodness for that!" said Glennard. "We retreat! We try to find Ramia and help her fend off the monsters! Hopefully we'll be able to heal her. If we can't find her we'll teleport back to the camp and hope that she returns."

"There's no time!" protested Suzanne. "We've tipped our hand by coming here! The Archfiend must know what our plan is now. It will recall its forces to crush us in no time! You saw the battle as we flew over. The battle is going south. It won't hesitate to take some of its forces off the front lines now!

"You'll forgive me if I don't listen to you," scoffed Glennard. "We retreat into the mountains and that's final!"

"We won't get another shot at this!" said Suzanne.

"You idiot!" yelled Glennard. "We don't stand a chance against the Archfiend now! Viron and Theron are dead and Ramia is seriously wounded. And whose fault is that? But by all means, if you want to throw away your life I'll welcome your efforts!"

"You coward! This isn't about completing the mission!" retorted Ron. "You don't think we stand a chance so you're turning tail and fleeing!"

"Ron's right! You're only trying to save yourself!" accused Alice. "You probably won't even join the fight when you get back to the camp!"

"Don't you dare call me a coward!" roared Glennard, pointing his sword at Alice. The other seven quickly brought their weapons to the ready. "I've been fighting since before you fools could lift a weapon! We have no chance against the Archfiend without reinforcements!"

"I told the king we should have never joined this alliance," said Gileen. "These rabble from Aliahan can never be trusted!"

"Well, what will it be?" asked Glennard. "If you fools want to challenge the Archfiend then I encourage you! Better we be rid of all Aliahanians."

Suzanne looked at Ron, Thomas, and Alice. All three nodded. "It would seem you will have your wish," she said. "What about the rest of you? Will you turn and flee and stay and fight?"

Moonarrow did not hesitate, "I was hired to assist three teams in killing the Archfiend. I'll need to be paid extra before I take on a tougher job."

"Enough stalling. We're leaving!" declared Glennard. He, Gileen, and Moonarrow began walking away. Wilnoc remained behind for a moment. He looked at the other four and sighed. Then he took a ring off his hand and gave it to Alice. Without a word, he went to join Glenanard's group.

"What is it, Alice?" asked Ron.

"It's called a Wizard's Ring," she answered. "This thing can restore magical power."

"Nice of him to leave it," said Thomas bitterly. "Would've been better if he stayed himself."

"Let's just go," said Suzanne. "We have a job to do."

* * *

Venorl Castle was oddly quiet. A large number of the monsters had left to chase Ramia. Suzanne wondered if the other four had drawn some away with their retreat. Nevertheless, Suzanne's group was not taking any chances. They stayed close to the walls and moved quickly whenever they had to go out into the open.

As they walked, Thomas and Alice took turns drawing magic from the ring that Wilnoc had given them. The ring replenished a good amount of the magic they had used up until this point. However, the ring could only do so much. After some time the ring crumbled in Alice's hands.

"Looks like we got all we can out of it," Alice noted darkly.

After going up one staircase and then down another the group came across a dangerous stretch of floor that was sending up sparks. It looked a lot like the trap that had been guarding Ramia's egg. Thankfully, Alice's levitation spell allowed the four to cross over the floor without harm.

As the four made their way through the castle they often found themselves going up some stairs only to go back down another staircase soon after. Venorl was not a tall castle but the constant switching between floors made it difficult to navigate. Fortunately, the four faced little resistance on their way, only facing a few isolated groups of monsters.

The group passed by a throne room as they made their way around the castle. The throne room was unoccupied except for a skeleton which sat upon the throne. This one was not animated.

"Probably the king that had this castle built," guessed Thomas. "I imagine the Archfiend keeps him on this throne to feed its own sick humor."

Outside of the throne room the four saw a small lake to their left. A path ran to the center of the lake to a descending staircase. The staircase was guarded by more of the dangerous floor that the group had encountered. Alice recast her spell and the four descended.

At the bottom of the staircase was a large room. The room was unfurnished except for torches along the walls and two large braziers towards the back of the room. Between the braziers was a pyramid-like altar. Standing atop that altar was a monster.

The monster was a large humanoid, between the size of a human and a troll. It had sickly yellow skin and wore green robes. Around its shoulders was a purple cloak. It had a bright ruby pendant around its neck. It mouth was elongated and looked like a duck's bill. It had a snout-like nose. A large bump came out of the top of its head. Its ears were nothing more than holes in the side of its head. Its hands and feet had three claws a piece.

The monster spoke to the group with a deep and gravelly voice, "So you have finally made it here, eh Suzanne?"

Realizing what the monster was, the group quickly adopted their ready stances. Weapons out, they prepared for the slightest hint of aggression from the monster.

The monster continued talking, "But alas, too soon. For you and yours do not know yourselves well enough to oppose the Archfiend Baramos!"

"Now we finally have a name to call the bastard by," muttered Ron under his breath.

"You will regret your coming indeed!" said Baramos, laughing. "You will be dead for good for I will surely feast on your innards!" As if the punctuate his point, a drop of slimy drool came out of the Archfiend's mouth onto the floor.

"Even with your huge army, you face us alone," declared Suzanne. "The four of us together are mightier than any single force in this world!"

The time for talking was over. The battle with the Archfiend had begun. Alice cast a spell on Ron to increase his physical strength. Suzanne and Ron charged at the Archfiend but the two were some distance away from Baramos. Thomas began casting a spell but unfortunately the Archfiend was able to act first.

Baramos took a deep breath and unleashed a nightmarish blast of fire at the four. At the same time, Baramos cast a spell of its own and the four were engulfed in a humongous explosion, an explosion much larger than any Alice had ever conjured. The devastating attacks left all four humans on the ground gravely wounded.

Alice and Thomas cast healing spells upon themselves. Thomas had learned to cast an even more powerful healing spell; he was bathed in sparkling lights that were able to heal all his wounds. Up front, Suzanne and Ron quickly got back on their feet and renewed their charge at Baramos. They knew that if they did not get in its face and force it to fight them in melee it would only unleash its devastating power again.

The Archfiend cast another spell and sent a fireball at Ron's feet. Unlike other fireball spells that Ron had been hit by this one exploded into a tower of flames. The spell not only gave Ron additional severe burns but also sent him flying off his feet again. Ron sluggishly got back on his feet but knew his strength was quickly leaving him.

At last, Suzanne was able to climb up the altar and attack Baramos. The Archfiend then exhibited surprising strength and dexterity. Baramos caught her blade between two of its claws and turn it aside. It brought its other hand down in a crushing blow meant to slice open Suzanne's head. Suzanne was able to block its blow but the Archfiend's strength combined with the higher ground it stood on forced Suzanne to a knee, almost knocking her backwards off the altar. The Archfiend had nearly devastated the group and had yet to suffer even a scratch.

"Sapphire Ron!" called out Suzanne, a code for the group's next immediate actions. If Thomas did not trust Suzanne as he did, he might have disobeyed. This code had Thomas, the group's best healer, casting a non-healing spell with Suzanne and Alice wounded and Ron near death. Nevertheless, Thomas executed as he was told. He cast a spell which bathed the four of them in a gentle, blue light.

Ron also would have had some reservations if he had less confidence in the group's leader. Almost done for, Ron nevertheless charged at Baramos again. Taking notice of its near-dead enemy, Baramos sneered at Ron and prepared to finish him off with a spell. Just before the Archfiend finished its spell, Ron could feel the soothing effects of two healing spells, courtesy of Suzanne and Alice, erasing his wounds. Although still hurting, Ron knew he could take whatever Baramos could dish out now.

The Archfiend sent another devastating fireball at Ron. Through sheer strength and force of will, Ron somehow charged right into the ensuing tower of flames and pushed through, staying on his feet as he climbed up the altar. But the attack did knock Ron off balance and Baramos was bringing both its hands down for a crushing claw strike. Unable to adequately defend himself, Ron made a leap forward, spinning around to strike at Baramos's hands as he did so.

Normally, such an attack would not be effective as leaving his feet would reduce the strength of Ron's strike. But with Alice's enchantment Ron's attack cut deep into Baramos's arms. Consequently, the Archfiend's attack was thrown off and it only managed two glancing blows to both of Ron's shoulders. The four had finally managed to wound the Archfiend. Unfortunately, Baramos's wounds began closing before the group's eyes.

Nevertheless, the group was no longer scrambling for their lives. Alice cast a strength-enhancing spell on Suzanne while Suzanne cast a healing spell on Ron. Thomas cast a spell to erase all of Suzanne's wounds. Now the two front-line fighters were set up to deal some damage to the Archfiend.

But Baramos was not going to stand around and let that happen. With Ron on the ground following his dive, Baramos kept him on the ground by aiming a strike at his midsection. Ron surprised the Archfiend by defending with the Thunder Sword instead of his shield. Although Ron was unable to connect with flesh he was able to cut off one of Baramos's claws. However, the attack fulfilled its intended purpose of stopping Ron from getting up.

Once again showcasing its ability to multi-task, the Archfiend unleashed another blast of flames from its mouth. Fortunately, the soft light that Thomas had cast upon the team was meant to help counteract such an attack. Although all four still suffered burns, it was not anywhere near as bad as the first time Baramos had used its breath weapon. Thomas brought Ron to full strength while Alice healed herself.

Finally, Suzanne was able to join Ron in fighting Baramos up close. The Archfiend growled as it knew it would have to allow Ron to stand up or else be run through by Suzanne's blade. Once again, the Archfiend surprised Suzanne with its dexterity. It backhanded the flat of Suzanne's sword, knocking it away harmlessly. Ron had some more success as he buried his blade in Baramos's other hand.

This time, the Archfiend used its mouth to chant a spell instead of breathing fire. The room was once again filled with a huge explosion. Realizing the bad position it was in fighting two magically enhanced warriors; Baramos then tried a risky maneuver. Flanked by Suzanne and Ron, it spun around to face Suzanne. Instead of trying to claw her, the Archfiend used its strength and weight to push Suzanne off the altar. It then used its speed to spin back around to defend itself against Ron.

At the start of the fight Ron might have been surprised by Baramos's speed. But now Ron had seen enough of the Archfiend to know not to go for the knockout blow despite the supposed advantage he had. Ron took a quick sidestep to avoid Baramos's wild spinning hand and then finally drove the Thunder Sword into the Archfiend's torso, dealing a serious wound to its right shoulder.

The Archfiend put its full attention on Ron. Ignoring the wound in its shoulder, it brought its left hand around and managed to land a strong blow on one of Ron's shoulders. It used its other hand to cast a spell at the same time. Yellow waves spun around Ron's head. Instead of launching another attack at the Archfiend, Ron looked around confused and then charged at Thomas.

The other three quickly realized that Baramos's spell had affected Ron's mind. Unfortunately, none of them knew of a spell that could counteract the Archfiend's. The only cure they knew of was to give a good knock to Ron's head which would be easier said than done. Even worse, Alice's enhancement of him would now be turned against them.

"Alice!" called out Suzanne. Alice knew what that meant; the team had practiced this scenario. Suzanne ran and cut off Ron before he reached Thomas. Alice had her own sword out and began to circle around the two as they began a quick duel. Suzanne knew they had to settle this quickly as the Archfiend would begin picking them apart with its magic with nobody on the altar to stop it. She launched a couple of high attacks at Ron, knowing she was leaving herself open as she did so. As expected, Ron took a shot at her midsection. His attack cleaved through Suzanne's armor and deep into her flesh. The might of Ron's strike caused Suzanne to fall backward.

Baramos cackled and took advantage of the mayhem Ron was causing. It cast two spells: a fireball that scored a direct hit on Suzanne and a huge explosion. Suzanne was left with horrendous burns and bleeding out on the ground. Thomas knew he would not be able to heal her with the spell he had been using throughout the fight. He would have to cast his more powerful, but less reliable spell. He did his best to maintain his focus as he cast the difficult spell. He was rewarded when a beam of light dropped from the ceiling and reached Suzanne's body. Suzanne was then able to get back up on her feet.

Meanwhile, Suzanne's risky maneuver had paid off. Having put all his strength into his strike and then further distracted by the explosion Baramos had conjured, he was caught unawares by Alice. Fighting through that same explosion, she brought the flat of her blade down at Ron's head with all her might, desperately hoping she would hit him hard enough to break the spell but not hard enough to knock him out. Like Thomas, she was rewarded as Ron ceased attacking his comrades. He took a brief look at the situation and, realizing that nobody was attacking the Archfiend, ran at the altar.

Baramos did not want Ron to rejoin it on the altar. It launched another fireball-explosion combo. This time, the fireball was aimed at Ron. Ron stumbled as the fireball exploded and was forced to slow down his charge to get back on his feet. Thomas and Alice were left in bad shape by the explosion as they had not healed themselves in a while. While the two of them healed themselves Suzanne healed Ron hoping that he could make it to the altar soon enough to stop another magical assault.

The Archfiend took a risk by repeating its fireball-explosion maneuver. Ron was left in horrible shape but fought through the agony to the top of the altar. The pain kept Ron from dealing a mortal blow but he nevertheless dug the Thunder Sword into Baramos's chest. Thomas eliminated all of Ron's wounds while Suzanne healed herself. Suzanne took a risk by having Alice re-enhance Suzanne's strength instead of healing.

Suzanne's risk turned out to be a safe one as Ron's melee assault proved too much for the Archfiend to ignore. Ron fought aggressively, allowing Baramos to land some claw strikes on him in exchange for dealing harsher blows to the Archfiend. Ron was well aware that his friends were still hurting and he needed to buy time for Suzanne to join him. Ron worked his way inside the Archfiend's defenses, forcing the monster to devote its hands and even its head to dodging and blocking blows.

Although Baramos landed some terrible blows on Ron it turned out to be for naught as long as the healers could undo Ron's wounds. Baramos tried to push Ron off the altar but was only partially successful; Ron maintained his balance and only gave up a couple steps while he left a gash in one of Baramos's arms in return. However, that amount of room allowed Baramos to turn its body so it could better defend itself with only one of its arms. It immediately cast a spell with its other.

Ron's head was once again surrounded by wavy, yellow lines of energy. Ron was befuddled for a moment but was able to fight off the spell this time. This proved to be costly for the Archfiend. The lack of another explosion allowed Thomas and Alice to catch up on the healing and Suzanne to finally join Ron on the altar. The two fighters were once again flanking the Archfiend.

The battle went downhill for Baramos from there. Suzanne and Ron were now getting used to the Archfiends' speed, strength and movements. They also realized that they had to fight with little regard for their own well-being, trusting in their friends to keep them alive. The Archfiend ran Suzanne through with its claws, taking advantage of the opening in her armor that Ron had created. Thomas and Alice patched her up. Baramos dealt a crushing blow to Ron's head that send him falling down the altar. The attack left it wide open for Suzanne's attack and she delivered by severing its other arm. The severed arm began regrowing itself but it would take some time for it to grow back to the point of being useful.

As Ron got back to his feet, the Archfiend tried to push Suzanne off the altar again. Suzanne was ready for the move and sidestepped, leaving Baramos severely off balance. The Archfiend did a controlled tumble off the altar to get back into a combat stance without leaving itself open to Suzanne and Ron. It was another impressive move but this one would turn out to be a mistake.

The Archfiend took advantage of the space it created to unleash an explosion and a blast of fiery breath at its enemies. But Thomas's soft light spell continued to protect the four and now Baramos was no longer on the top of the altar. Suzanne quickly moved to cut Baramos off from the top of the altar. She launched a complicated series of sword strikes at the Archfiend. Baramos barely managed to defend each one, even using the stump that was its regrowing arm.

However, Suzanne's attacks were meant to keep Baramos occupied. Ron ran to the top of the altar and made a leap at the Archfiend. He brought his blade into Baramos's head with the force of his strength, his weight, and Alice's enhancement combined. Ron and Baramos fell backwards off the side of the altar. The weight of the monster nearly crushed Ron and kept him from taking advantage of his enemy's fall. But there was nothing stopping Suzanne.

She fell upon Baramos with a flurry of blows. Desperate, the Archfiend clawed her across the face and managed to send a fireball at her. It wasn't enough. Thomas and Alice were still healing wounds with impunity. Ron got out from under Baramos and joined the assault. Their blades cut and sliced through the Archfiend's skin.

Their assault became so relentless that the Archfiend was no longer able to counterattack. Thomas ran forward and joined the attack. Alice began casting her most powerful magic on the fallen Baramos until she could no longer cast any magic. Baramos screamed in agony and rage as it was literally cut into pieces.

As the Archfiend let out its death scream a warm light suddenly engulfed the area. Though the four should have felt exhausted after the battle they suddenly felt invigorated. The three spellcasters could feel magic flowing back into their bodies. Although their bodies were brought back to full strength, their minds struggled to comprehend what just happened.

"Is…is it over?" asked Alice.

"I think so," said Ron. As though to test his point, he cut a few more pieces out of the Archfiend's body. Baramos did not move.

"It might not be over," said Suzanne suddenly. "There's still a war going on. Let's get out of here. I don't want to risk that that thing can regenerate from pieces. Let's take its head with to ensure that nothing grows out of it."

The four left the Archfiend's chamber with its head in their possession. They were able to quickly exit Venorl Castle. Not a single monster lingered in its walls. Even the humans that had attacked Ramia appeared to have left.

From the cliffs near the castle the group could see a good portion of the battlefield. The monster army was much smaller. The monsters that remained were busy destroying each other. The four could see that the human army was withdrawing and that a negligible number of monsters were pursuing them.

Thomas was the first to speak, "It is over. The monster army is devouring itself. The threat is over!"

"It's over!" echoed Alice. "The Archfiend Baramos is dead!"

"This is a battle that'll go down in story!" said Ron with a huge grin. "Can't wait to hear how they describe me!"

"As the boisterous loudmouth who kept getting the group in trouble?" asked Alice slyly.

"Look who's talking!" retorted Ron. Instead of getting into an argument the two burst out laughing.

Thomas walked over to Suzanne. "You're oddly quiet," he observed. "Anything wrong?"

Suzanne paused before answering. "No," she said at last. "I just still can't believe it. We won. We won!"

* * *

Author's Note: Four years later and this story's finally coming to an end. Just have to add an epilogue and I can finally put the coveted "complete" tag on this one. I hope it's been a good read for you all.


	32. Chapter 31: The Celebration

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest 3 does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 31: The Celebration

The four teleported back to the camp. Upon arrival they were met with thunderous cheers and applause. The other soldiers in the army crowded around them, all anxious to hear of the battle that had occurred in Venorl Castle. After some time, the army's officers began calling for order and summoned the four into one of the tents. There they were able to give their report.

Cautious of being tricked, the officers ordered the army to stay battle ready should the monsters reorganize and strike. Fortunately, their caution was unnecessary. The majority of the monsters that had made up the enemy army fled from the Necrogond. For most of them, the Necrogond was not their native habitat. Of those that remained, more decided to fight each other than try to challenge the human army. There was no monster army anymore; the monsters had returned to their natural instincts.

The next day, Ramia returned to the camp with only Captain Gileen on her back. Her return elicited another round of cheers from the alliance. She still bore some wounds but was clearly well enough to fly. She offered to give the army's commanders an aerial view of the battlefield. After a brief trip, the phoenix returned and the commanders declared that the battle had officially been won. The rest of the day was spent in celebration. The four went to talk with Ramia on their first opportunity.

"I am glad to see you alive," said Suzanne. "I feared that I had gotten you killed."

_Thank you for your concern,_ replied Ramia. _But you only did what you thought was necessary. And in the end, thanks to your efforts, the Archfiend was slain. You humans truly are amazing._

"I saw that only Gileen returned with you," said Suzanne. "What happened to Glennard, Wilnoc, and Moonarrow?"

_I am afraid that Glennard and Wilnoc fell in battle_, answered Ramia solemnly. _I was unable to evade my attackers for long. Glennard's group found me and put their lives on the line to defend me. Their sacrifice allowed me to escape and live. Of Moonarrow, I do not know what happened. Gileen says that when the fight turned against them that Moonarrow was suddenly nowhere to be seen. He suspects that Moonarrow fled._

"I am sorry to hear that," said Suzanne. "We had an argument before he left. It would seem that Glennard did his duty to the very end."

"I'm sorry I called that man a coward," said Ron.

"At least Ramia and Gileen were able to survive," said Alice.

"Now that the battle is over, what will you do Ramia?" asked Suzanne.

_I owe a great debt to both the elves and the humans,_ replied Ramia. _It pains me that the two races have not been able to live in peace. But there is some hope. Though they did not join us in battle, the elves contributed some magical items to our cause. Gileen told me that Wilnoc gave you a Wizard's Ring. That ring was one of the items the elves gave to the army. It is my wish that elves and humans no longer despise each other. I plan to serve as an ambassador between elves and humans._

"You are held in high regard by both groups," said Suzanne. "If anyone can foster peace between the two, it's you, Ramia."

_And what of the four of you?_ asked Ramia. _Now that you have completed your quest and saved the world what awaits you?_

Suzanne looked at the other three and was met with shrugs. "I guess we haven't given it a lot of thought," she replied. "We've always just stayed focused on the task at hand."

"We've visited waypoints all over the world," said Alice. "With our teleportation magic, we can go almost anywhere we want!"

"And we're bound to get some respect for killing Baramos," said Ron. "Wherever we go, people are going to know who we are! This is going to be great!"

"Don't get too cocky," cautioned Thomas. "We'll need to settle down and find some work eventually. Whatever fame we have gained will only get us so far."

Ramia smiled at the four. _Whatever you end up doing I am sure the world will be better for it._

* * *

The four continued to talk with Ramia a while longer before returning to where the majority of the camp was celebrating. They continued to receive praise and congratulations from all the people they saw. The various kings and queen present also came to offer their gratitude. Even King Saldor came over to thank the heroes though he seemed to be in a foul mood as usual. After Saldor left Emperor Vilisik came over to speak to the group.

"Well done!" he said, clapping as he walked. "Well done, indeed! To think that when we met about a year and a half ago that I was meeting those that would slay an Archfiend!"

"You are too kind, Your Majesty," answered Suzanne politely.

"Nonsense!" laughed the emperor. "When you returned from thwarting Kandar's rebellion I believe I offered Ron my crown. At the time, I did not think the empire would be ready for a female ruler. But after all this, I think the people will make an exception. And so, Suzanne of Aliahan, I give to you the crown of the Romalian Empire along with the position of Emperor. Do you accept this great honor and responsibility?"

"No, no! That will not be necessary, Your Majesty," said Suzanne hastily.

The emperor laughed again. "I didn't think you'd take it! Alas, I suppose it is my duty to wear this thing until the day I die."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief. "Geez, this guy gives his nation away without a single thought," she muttered.

"Well, I don't blame him," answered Ron in a whisper. "I was emperor for only a few days before I couldn't take it anymore."

"It is a burden, I assure you," cut in Vilisik, surprising Ron and Alice. "But I think it will be a bit easier from here on out."

"It must have been rough for all of you these past few months," said Suzanne. "I can only imagine what it would be like to have the lives of an entire nation on my shoulders."

"Yes, well, it's time to forget that for the moment," said Vilisik. "Thanks to the four of you, my people are safe. And I hope they won't be seriously threatened like this again while I still live!"

* * *

The celebration extended into the early hours of the next morning. After that, it was time to get to business again. Short lived as it was, the alliance began to disband. The camp was packed up and the soldiers began teleporting back to their homelands. Efforts were made to gather and bury the dead but it was an impossible task. Many had fallen in the battle against Baramos and with monsters still roaming the Necrogond it was perilous to those still living. A day of mourning was held to honor the fallen. The heroes did their part in packing up the camp.

"So guys, I've been thinking," said Ron one day. "What do you think we should do now?"

"Well for me, I'm ready for a nice, long vacation," replied Alice. "I'd say we've more than earned it. We traveled all over the world but we always were in such a rush. We weren't ever able to just take in the sights. I'd like to travel around to all the places we've been to and just relax, take in some sights, and learn about all the different cultures out there."

"Yeah, a vacation would be great," said Ron. "But what about after that? Like Tom said, we're going to have to find some work eventually."

"Do you have any ideas, Ron?" asked Suzanne.

"Yeah, I guess so," answered Ron, his voice much quieter than normal. "There are still monsters out there, as well as evil humans. I can still do some good with this sword of mine. And I've been thinking that I don't want to stay in Aliahan. I don't think there's much there for me anymore."

"I agree with Ron," said Alice. "We spent our entire lives cooped up on that island! Now I've seen the whole wide world! I remember ever since I was little I dreamed of going on a journey around the world."

"If that is your wish, Ron, I think you'd be able to find work wherever you want to," said Suzanne. "Like you've been saying, we've earned a lot of respect from all of this. Why, people will be lining up to make use of your skills!"

"How about you, Susie? Are you going to stay in Aliahan?" asked Ron.

"I don't know. I don't even know what skills I can use," answered Suzanne.

"Are you kidding?" asked Ron, shocked. "You led a group of warriors to victory against an Archfiend! Your ability to command will be highly sought after!"

"But I don't think that's what I want to do," said Suzanne, suddenly sounding exhausted. "I'm tired of all the fighting. When my father left Aliahan I wanted to be like him, to do some good for the world. When I found out he died my one wish was to finish what he started. Now that's all over. I've seen the reality of it all now: all the blood, pain, and death. I'm proud that we accomplished what we did. And if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't hesitate. But I'm glad it's over. I never wanted to be a hero."

"You'll find something," said Thomas. "Something you want to do."

"So what about you, Tom?" asked Alice. "I'm guessing you'll want to work in a healing house somewhere. Are you going to stay in Aliahan?"

"I haven't decided yet," answered Thomas.

"Well, all the more reason to go on a vacation!" said Alice enthusiastically. "We can travel across the world and decide what place suits us the best!"

"You know, we never did celebrate your birthday," noted Suzanne. "I think it's only right if you decide where we go first."

"I say you should have us go to the imperial capital!" said Ron excitedly.

"Excuse me, I believe Susie said _I_ would get to choose!" answered Alice. "And the empire will be our last stop. Can't have you blowing our leftover funds so soon! We'll have to put the rest of the vacation on hold and get jobs right away!"

"Hey, I've learned a lot about monsters over the course of our adventure!" protested Ron. "I think I would actually gain us money!"

"I have a suggestion," said Thomas. "While you put some money on the monster arena the rest of us can wager on if you're right or not. And if we win that's less money that's part of your share."

"Now, Tom, that's hardly sporting," said Suzanne. "Is it even a wager if you have a 100% chance of winning? Ron will be out of money by the third match!"

"I fail to see the problem," answered Thomas.

"You guys are jerks!" said Ron, though he shared a laugh with the other three despite himself.

"I have a message for Ron!" said a voice from behind the heroes. A young man approached the four and handed Ron a scroll. He then excused himself and left. Ron opened the scroll and read it aloud. The group had been invited to return to Aliahan where a party was to be held in their honor.

"Well that's great! Already we're getting some respect!" exclaimed Ron.

"Some of us, anyway," muttered Thomas.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"Almost anyone who has a message for the four of us has it delivered to Suzanne, our leader," said Thomas. "It would seem the good King Neal either is not aware that she is our leader or that he refuses to acknowledge that fact."

"Forget it, Tom," said Suzanne. "It doesn't matter. We don't need to look for bad things in every corner. We've seen enough bad things recently. Let's just go back to Aliahan and enjoy ourselves."

"This is wonderful! I've spent too much time in this armor! It'll be nice to dress up for something!" said Alice.

"Well, you'll have to keep waiting," said Ron. "We're requested to show up with our arms and armor, at least for an initial ceremony. The king wants everyone to see us in all our heroic glory."

"So he means to parade us around like a tourist attraction?" asked Thomas. "With how little help he gave us he will undoubtedly tell everyone how our entire quest was officially sponsored by Aliahan."

"Enough, Tom!" scolded Suzanne. "I know you're not a fan of these sorts of things but we'll go back, make an appearance, and then have some fun. You'll see, it'll be fine!"

* * *

A week and a half after defeating Baramos, the heroes finally returned to Aliahan. They made their return quietly as they wanted to reunite with their families without dealing with crowds of admirers. The next morning, the four made the trip to the castle in their full battle gear. Several bystanders saw the group walking by and whispers began to spread. By the time the four entered the castle a crowd had grown behind them.

Inside the castle, the heroes were escorted directly up to the throne room. King Neil sat upon his throne in his very best clothes. An honor guard stood on the edges of the red carpet that led up to the throne. In addition to their swords, each member of the guard was carrying a trumpet. As the four approached the king stood up to greet them.

"Ron, Thomas, Suzanne, and Alice!" greeted the king. "You have done well in defeating the Archfiend Baramos! The entire country sings your praises! Suzanne, you are indeed a true child of Ortega!"

"We thank you for your praises, Your Majesty," said Suzanne.

"You have done a great service for the world," continued the king. "And you have also done a great service for Aliahan. With your deeds representing our nation and Aliahan's participation in the war it may be time for us to rejoin the international community and regain the glory our people once held!"

"That would be wonderful, Your Majesty," replied Suzanne. She thought she could sense Thomas's disdain coming from her side, though she knew he would not show it on his face. The thought amused her.

"In any case, Aliahan must show its gratitude to its great heroes!" proclaimed the king. "Men, sound the fanfare!"

The men of the honor guard raised their trumpets and began playing. They played a glorious and uplifting fanfare, the likes of which the four had never heard played in Aliahan. Ceremonies such as these had faded away after the Second Great War.

"It's too bad you're one of those being honored by this, Ron," said Alice. "Otherwise you could add your musical talents to these guys'."

"I never learned to play the trumpet," muttered Ron.

"Well I'm sure they could find a flute part in there for you!" said Alice. "We really need to get you to play the flute more often!"

Ron muttered something unintelligible in response, a blush coming onto his face.

"Wow, Ron being shy and bashful!" commented Suzanne. "I thought the world would end before I ever –"

Suzanne's words were cut off by a deafening noise. The trumpet fanfare ended as all those in the throne room looked around wildly for the source of the noise. There was another loud noise; this one was caused by the roof of the throne room as it came crashing down.

There was little time to react. All those assembled did their best to drop to the ground and find some sort of cover. Stones, some the size of boulders, came raining down. Suzanne dropped to the ground and could feel several stones raining down on her. They dented her armor and caused a great deal of pain. Worst of all was when a large rock fell directly on one of her legs. The pain caused her to yell out, a yell which was swallowed up by the sounds of the crashing roof and thus unheard.

Eventually, the roof stopped falling and the throne room was left destroyed. When Suzanne realized that no more stones were falling she immediately cast some healing spells upon herself. Thankfully, her healing skills were sufficient. She was also fortunate not to be pinned underneath any rubble. She managed to dig her way out and surveyed what was left of the throne room.

The majority of the roof had fallen onto the floor below. There were only a few pieces near the corners of the room that had stayed. Furthermore, the collapsing roof had put a great deal of pressure on the floor, causing one large hole to open up, causing further damage on the floor below. Without the loud rumble of the crumbling roof the moans and screams of the wounded could now be heard.

Suzanne began clearing away rubble and helping the people trapped underneath. Many had been killed by the falling roof. Suzanne healed those that had survived. Unfortunately, the members of the honor guard had not worn armor meant for battle as the four had; many of them had been killed. Those that Suzanne was able to save helped her in her search. After some time, Suzanne was relieved when she saw Thomas emerge from underneath the rubble. He needed no commands, he immediately set forth in trying to find and help the survivors.

A small explosion came from near the center of the room. Suzanne and Thomas immediately drew their weapons to face the threat. However, it turned out to be Alice. Alice had been trapped underneath a large stone and had carefully cast a spell to destroy it; casting her spell so as not to compromise the integrity of the room any further.

"Where's Ron?" asked Alice.

"We don't know. He must still be underneath somewhere. We have to search for survivors," answered Suzanne.

Alice helped Suzanne and Thomas dig through the destruction. After some time, they managed to find Ron. He had been grievously wounded by a blow to the head. Had he not been wearing his helmet he would surely have died. As it was, he was barely clinging to life. Thomas immediately set to work.

Thomas cast his most powerful healing spell. A beam of light came down from the sky, now visible without a roof to block it. But the beam of light failed to reach Ron. He tried again, only for the light to again fail. He tried a third time and once again met with failure.

"Damn it!" cursed Thomas. "I'm losing him! Something is interfering with this spell!"

"Keep trying Tom!" said Suzanne. "You can do this!"

Thomas tried for the fourth time. For the fourth time, the beam of light simply could not make it to Ron.

"Come on, Tom!" pleaded Alice. "You can't let Ron die!"

"My magic isn't working," muttered Thomas.

"It must!" said Suzanne. "You're Ron's only hope!"

It was then that Thomas remembered something. He stopped casting his spell on Ron and began digging through his belongings.

"What are you doing!?" demanded Alice.

"The leaf of the World Tree!" answered Thomas. "My most powerful spell is being interfered with! I don't know how but I know it is! But the leaf should still work!"

Thomas found the leaf of the World Tree. He found a flat surface and took the bottom of his sword and crushed the leaf. He then sprinkled the pieces onto Ron's wounds. The effect was miraculous. The large gash on Ron's head closed up and he stopped bleeding. Once Thomas had used up all of the leaf he cast his other healing spells on Ron. Thankfully, Thomas's regular healing spells continued to function correctly.

"What happened?" asked Ron as he came to. "Where am I?"

"The throne room in Aliahan Castle," answered Suzanne. "Or what's left of it. The roof came crashing down. We've been trying to search for survivors but there's been no sign of what caused all of this."

Suddenly the sky became dark. A few moments ago, the morning sun had still been rising into the sky. Now it was dark as night. From out of nowhere, an unearthly voice was heard. The voice spoke inside the group's minds, similar to Ramia. But while Ramia's voice was beautiful and gentle, this voice was terrible and revolting.

_I am Zoma, Master Archfiend who rules the dark realms,_ stated the voice. It seemed as though it was speaking some horrible, unknown language even though all four could understand what it was saying. _By the powers I possess, before long, this world too will be locked in darkness. Anguish and suffering be yours! It is your suffering that brings me joy!_ As if to punctuate its point, the horrific voice began to laugh a mirthless, mocking laugh and then faded away.

* * *

Author's Note: Well, I couldn't help myself. Just like how the game acts like it's over after you beat Baramos so too did I act like this story was coming to an end after Baramos's end. Sorry about that. Rest assured that there is some story left to go through and we're going to see it through to the real end.


	33. Chapter 32: An Otherworldly Threat

Disclaimer: Dragon Quest 3 does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

Chapter 32: An Otherworldly Threat

"We must not let anyone know what has happened here," said King Neal, fear showing clearly in his voice. "If the people knew it would start a panic."

"Your Majesty, we must tell the people what has happened," argued Suzanne. "They have to know that the threat is not over."

"No!" declared the king. "Absolutely not!"

"The entire kingdom must know about the damage the castle has taken," persisted Suzanne. "They will have questions. Letting the people guess at the answers will incite even more of a panic."

"I have made arrangements for that," answered the king. "I have some of the land's finest craftsmen and stonemasons examining the damage. They will declare that the castle was not structurally sound. This will put to rest any rumors and bring peace to the people."

"Your Majesty, we just fought in a terrible battle for the survival of all mankind," said Suzanne. "A battle made worse because mankind refused to face the truth until it was almost too late. With all due respect, would you have us make the same mistake again so soon?"

"That is enough!" said King Neal, now angry. "All of this is your fault! This Zoma, whatever it is, targeted us because of you! I should have never allowed you to break the seal. I should have never allowed you to say you were from Aliahan. You have brought evil back with you! Aliahan had prospered under the seal!"

"Sire, Aliahan has been in decline for decades now," replied Suzanne. "You yourself had been saying how wonderful it would be to rejoin the world."

"Silence!" yelled King Neal. "I will have no more talk from you, woman! We will do as we always have. We will cut ourselves off from the world and not participate in the world's problems."

It was all Suzanne could do to keep from yelling back at the monarch. "Very well, Your Majesty," she replied with a guarded voice. "So then Aliahan will not join the fight against this new threat."

"No and neither will you, if you know what's good for you," growled the king. "I am warning you, daughter of Ortega, not to venture out on this fool quest of yours again. If you do you and any who accompany you can no longer claim to be of Aliahan. You will be banished from this great land. Do you understand me?"

Suzanne was surprised by the turn of events. After a pause she said, "I understand, Your Majesty." Then she left the king's presence.

* * *

Suzanne met up with Ron, Thomas, and Alice and relayed the king's ultimatum. The three were shocked to hear of such passionate opposition from the king.

"Bah!" scoffed Alice. "He's an idiot! Danger creeps right into his very home and he thinks he can hide from it! It's just like before we fought against Baramos! When are these rulers going to learn that hiding under the bed isn't going to make the big bad monster go away?"

"He's delirious too," muttered Thomas. "There was a crowd of people who witnessed the attack on the castle. They report great bolts of lightning causing the destruction. How do you explain that away as structural problems?"

"You've spoken with witnesses? Did they see what caused the attack?" asked Suzanne.

"No," replied Ron. "Nobody saw anything like that. Everyone was so focused on us and what was going on in the castle that I wouldn't be surprised if the attacker was in their midst. We've seen humans ally themselves with Baramos. There could have been a traitor in the crowd."

"A powerful traitor to be able to cause so much destruction," mused Alice.

"That's what worries me," said Suzanne. "Whoever, or whatever, did this managed to cause a lot of damage and escape detection. What's to stop them from doing it again?"

"That's usually where we come in," said Ron with a grin.

"Are you sure, Ron?" asked Suzanne. "I told you what the king said. He wants nothing to do with this new threat. If he finds out we're trying to find out about this Zoma he will be far from happy. And if we leave we're banished. Are you prepared for that, Ron? What about you, Thomas? And you, Alice? Are you all ready for the consequences?"

"It'll be tough leaving my family and friends here," admitted Ron. "But it'd be even tougher just waiting around for something to happen. And besides, if we bust up this new threat I'll bet the king will let us back in!"

"Don't be so sure," cautioned Thomas. "We're already credited with killing an Archfiend and that has only made the king blame us more."

"I know," said Ron. "Still, I can't sit around while there's still a threat. I'm in!"

"Ron's right," agreed Alice. "I'll miss my family but it's more important to protect them. Based on what I've heard of this attack I can think of no way to guard against another one by staying here. The only way to protect my family and Aliahan is to take out whatever's responsible for all this. I'm in too!"

"As am I," said Thomas. "I've been prepared for consequences like these since I first joined you, Susie."

"Thanks everyone," said Suzanne. "We need not leave just yet. We have little idea what we're dealing with, after all. I'm going to try and find Ramia. This Zoma claims to be a Master Archfiend. No monster's dared make that claim since the First Great War. Ramia fought in that war. I know Ramia doesn't have a lot of memories from her past life but she may still know something. I'll bring her here."

"By yourself?" asked Ron.

"We need to bring Ramia here to try and examine the damage as well as investigate any residual magic effects," said Suzanne. "That means we have to be able to return. The king may be paranoid of any of us leaving. He may even send out men to make sure we're still here. I need the three of you here to cover for me just in case His Majesty starts sniffing around."

"I'm coming with you," declared Thomas. "I agree with His Majesty on one thing: the attackers targeted Aliahan because of us. I know you're quite capable Susie but we've seen the power our foes wield. It's too dangerous for any of us to be alone now."

"But that means we'd have to cover for both of you," said Alice.

"It'll be fine," said Ron. "Tom's not exactly a social butterfly. No offense, Tom. Nobody will question not seeing him for some time. We really only need to cover for Susie."

"But I agree that both of us being absent for a long period of time will make it more suspicious," said Suzanne. "If we haven't found Ramia in a week we'll teleport back to Aliahan to make some appearances."

* * *

Suzanne and Thomas teleported to the northern portion of the Romalian Empire. They remembered that Ramia had said she wanted to work with elves and humans. After teleporting it was another day and half's journey to make it to where the elf queen lived. Their reception from the elves was a bit warmer this time. Although the elves still did not want to look at or speak with the two humans they did not shout or curse at them this time.

Thankfully, the two did not have to meet with the elf queen. Ramia was easy to find. Suzanne and Thomas approached the phoenix and told her of what had occurred in Aliahan. Ramia agreed to immediately go back to Aliahan with the two. Once there she did her best to examine the castle discreetly. After a day of examination she called the heroes to her and told them what she had found.

_It is clear that some great power was at work here_, said Ramia. _In fact, this power seems…otherworldly._

"Otherworldly?" asked Suzanne.

_I am afraid I cannot explain it well,_ apologized Ramia. _The magic that lingers here calls to memories of my past life. I still have not recovered all those memories. I do not know if I ever will. But those memories tell me that this magic transcends this world._

"When you say otherworldly do you mean that this was magic dealing with the next life?" asked Thomas. "A strong brand of necromancy?"

_No, it is not necromancy,_ replied Ramia. _It is magic that is of another world._

"Another world?" asked Alice. "You mean another world like ours? How can you know this?"

_I am not sure,_ admitted Ramia. _If only I had the memories of my past life. But this magic speaks to some power I can sense within myself. And it is very dangerous. We must find the thing responsible for this at once._

* * *

A short time later Ramia left to go to the Necrogond to further investigate the mysterious attack. Meanwhile, Suzanne and Thomas decided to travel to the Romalian capital to warn Emperor Vilisik of the new threat. Suzanne related their grave tale and asked the emperor for his aid.

"I know we all thought it was over," said Suzanne after she had finished telling the story of the attack. "But there is something else out there and all signs point to it being at least as dangerous as Baramos. Your Majesty, while we investigate this threat I ask that you call together the world leaders again. Baramos's army remains disbanded. If we act quickly and decisively this time we can defeat this Zoma before things get as bad as they were with Baramos."

Suzanne's story gave the emperor some pause. He thought over what Suzanne had said to him and then answered, "I am afraid that is out of the question."

"What?" asked Suzanne in surprise. "But why?"

The emperor hesitated before answering. Thomas supplied a guess, "Because we're from Aliahan."

The emperor was still hesitant in giving a reply. "Is that true, Your Majesty? Did you not once tell us that you bore no grudge against Aliahan?"

"And I still bear no grudge towards Aliahan," said Vilisik finally. "And I most certainly bear no grudge towards you, to whom I and the rest of the world owe so much. But I do know my history. After the Archfiend's defeat in the Second World War Desmond came up with a phantom threat to keep control of the great army that had been assembled. That was the beginning of his tyranny."

"But, Your Majesty, we have no army!" protested Suzanne. "We do not even come as representatives of Aliahan! Our king has made it clear we act on our own, as we always have. Even if we truly meant to follow Desmond's dark path there is no way we could!"

"But there are many who would follow the slayers of Baramos," replied the emperor. "And you have proven to be an exemplary leader. Would it truly be impossible for you to raise your own army, especially with state approval?"

"We have no wishes in raising an army!" said Suzanne. "We want it to be over as much as anyone else! But Zoma has taken the fight to our very door! We have to respond! Please, Your Majesty. You supported us when nobody else would. You trusted us before when we were little more than strangers. Trust us now!"

"You must remember that I did not implicitly trust you. You proved yourselves in stopping Kandar's rebellion," said Vilisik.

"And have we not proved ourselves even more in stopping Baramos?" asked Suzanne.

The emperor ignored her. "Furthermore, we already had evidence of the Archfiend when I agreed to support you. You have provided no evidence of this new threat."

"Then send someone back with us to Aliahan to see for yourself!" declared Suzanne. "Or come yourself if you wish! You will see the damage wrought with but one attack of this new fiend!"

"Now you ask for me to come to Aliahan," mused the emperor. "How can I or anyone else be sure that this is not an elaborate setup constructed by your people?"

"Ramia has seen the damages," answered Suzanne. "She can vouch for us."

The emperor was left silent for a short time. Thomas guessed at the source of his discomfort, "Undoubtedly the good emperor sees Ramia as little more than a monster that just happened to fight on our side against Baramos. Perhaps he even believes Ramia will try to take Baramos's place."

"Is that true, Your Majesty?" asked Suzanne.

Finally the emperor lost his composure. "Damn it, Suzanne! I don't want to distrust you! But you have to realize how bad this looks; how close this is to the Second Great War! The only non-Aliahanian witness you have is a mysterious yet powerful creature! And if I have misgivings about these circumstances then what will the other rulers say? Even if I came out in support of you do you think King Saldor would follow suit?"

Suzanne was left speechless at that emperor's outburst. The emperor sighed and continued, "Look, all we need is proof. You had to find proof of Baramos and now you need proof of Zoma. And you do not need to revive Ramia again. I should think this task relatively easy compared to what you have already accomplished. Bring me proof of this attack. The sort of proof that even King Saldor cannot disbelieve. Then I will support you once again."

* * *

"I can't believe even the emperor won't support us," said Alice.

"Maybe you should've taken his offer and become empress after all, Susie," said Ron bitterly.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he brought up some valid points," said Suzanne. "Our story, coming so soon after the defeat of Baramos, is a frightening echo of the Second Great War. If we went to Portoga with this story King Saldor might almost consider it a declaration of war."

"Ultimately this changes nothing," continued Suzanne. "It just means we're back to square one, the same spot we were in over a year and a half ago. We gather information, we present it to the world's rulers, and we eliminate the threat."

"We're at worse than square one," muttered Thomas. "Or rather, we started a bit better than square one before. People had at least heard of and even seen some of the Archfiend's power before. The emperor even told us that played a part in persuading him to support us. Now only Aliahan has seen the destruction of Zoma and nobody is going to believe Aliahan."

"Don't be so glum, everyone!" said Alice cheerfully. "We're at better than square one now too! Don't forget we have Ramia on our side! I think she'll be the key to our efforts once again. She may not have recovered her memories but it's clear she has some sort of connection with this kind of power. I think she will regain some of her lost knowledge and reveal where Zoma is hiding. Then it should be easy to convince everyone to help us and take it out before it can raise an army."

"I agree, Alice," said Suzanne. "And that will be our next course of action. We have no leads as to where to begin looking for Zoma. We'll wait in Aliahan until Ramia returns. Hopefully she will be able to shed some light on this whole affair."

"Bah! The waiting game," scoffed Ron. "Why can't our enemies ever just come out into the open and shout, 'Hey, we're here! Let's fight!' They always have to climb onto a bunch of impassable mountains or launch an attack and disappear!"

"Because they're highly intelligent, Ron," answered Suzanne. "They realize this gives them a great advantage."

"Well I'm highly intelligent and that's what I'd do," protested Ron.

Suzanne could not suppress a grin. "That doesn't sound highly intelligent to me, Ron."

"Typical simplistic Ron idea," added Alice.

"Hey! As I recall, I'm the only one of us to ever be the ruler of a nation," pointed out Ron. "And you know what? If you guys hadn't dragged me off that throne we wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

"We dragged you off the throne?" asked Thomas, also amused. "As I recall, you begged us to get you off that throne."

"I had it under control," insisted Ron.

* * *

Ramia returned nine days later with her report from the Necrogond. _East of Venorl Castle is an ominous place called the Great Pit of Giaga. It is surrounded by a poisonous cloud and poisonous marsh._

"I remember seeing that!" exclaimed Alice. "Do you guys remember? When we were looking for the Silver Orb we saw an ominous purple cloud hanging over the lake just east of Venorl! Was it in the middle of a lake?"

_It was_, replied Ramia. _I spent some time examining the area. To my amazement, there were humans guarding the pit._

"Humans?" asked Suzanne. "How could they survive in such an inhospitable environment?"

_They have done as your kind always does, adapt,_ answered Ramia. _And the poisonous cloud surrounds the pit, it does not cover it. The humans make up one of the tribes of the Necrogond. Unlike most such tribes these wore armor and carried weapons similar to yours._

"Why didn't the Archfiend go after them like it did with all the other tribes of the Necrogond?" asked Suzanne.

_They had allied themselves with Baramos,_ answered Ramia. _In fact, the human spellcasters that attacked me during the Battle of Venorl came from this tribe._

"They worked with Baramos!" growled Ron.

_Yes but it would seem they bear us no ill will,_ said Ramia. _They only worked with the Archfiend so that they may survive._

"That's no excuse," said Ron. "They worked with Baramos! They have to be brought to justice for that!"

_Perhaps,_ admitted Ramia. _But we have more important things to worry about at the moment. You can take care of them after we deal with Zoma._

"How do we know they're not working with Zoma?" asked Suzanne.

_I have considered that,_ said Ramia. _If we go to the Great Pit of Giaga we must exercise the utmost caution. Nevertheless, they were nothing but cooperative while I was there. They told me that on the day of Baramos's demise there was a quake in the area. It tore through the walls they had built around the pit. After that, a figure disappeared into the depths. Furthermore, they reported seeing terrible bolts of lightning coming from the pit on the same day your castle was attacked._

"A trap," insisted Ron. "Zoma has them feeding us false information."

_I am not so sure,_ said Ramia. _I spent a great deal of time examining the pit. There are powers emanating from it that match what I have sensed around your castle. This otherworldly energy was even stronger around the pit. I believe the Great Pit of Giaga is a portal; a sort of giant Traveler's Gate. And I believe that Zoma is on the other side of this portal._

"With all due respect, Ramia," began Ron, "is it possible that these people deceived you?"

_I have not discounted the possibility_, admitted Ramia._ But if they were able to conjure up such an elaborate deception they must have a great amount of power and knowledge dealing with this otherworldly force._

"And if that's the case then they could very well be the ones that attacked us," concluded Suzanne. "So either we go to this portal and use it to find Zoma or we find the real attackers of the castle." Ramia nodded.

"Alright, everyone, this is it," declared Suzanne. "We can't leave anyone back this time. Whether we're examining this dark portal or walking into an ambush we'll need all of our power and wits on this one. And the king will notice if all of us are gone. I say to you again that you don't have to do this. Nobody will blame you for staying back now."

The other three looked at each other and nodded. "Come on, Susie," said Ron. "We keep telling you that we're not going to leave you now."

"Then say goodbye to your family and friends today," said Suzanne. "We're going to the Great Pit of Giaga tomorrow and there's a good chance we'll never be back in Aliahan."

* * *

The four said their goodbyes to their families and left the next day. Ramia then took the four to the Great Pit of Giaga. The tribe that guarded it let them through without incident though the group was ready for a trap nevertheless. They went to the gap that had been opened in the wall and looked into the pit. It was a dark hole through which nothing could be seen.

"So this is the Great Pit of Giaga," noted Suzanne.

"It doesn't look like much," observed Ron. "But it's oddly creepy. It's like looking down a giant well."

"You're sure this is a portal, Ramia?" asked Alice. Ramia nodded.

"Alright, we're not going in without as much information as we can muster," declared Suzanne. "Let's spend some time examining this portal. Specifically we want to make sure we can return after entering."

Alice and Ramia spent three days examining the pit. As expected, Ramia had some repressed powers that were very similar to the powers flowing around the pit. Working together, they were able to not only learn about the powerful magic involved but were able to recover some of Ramia's powers. They made an incredible amount of progress in a short time. After they had finished they shared their results with the rest of the group.

"As expected, Ramia has dormant powers that allow her to work with this portal," explained Alice. "She isn't able to control or close this portal. Its power is such that we doubt that would ever be within her abilities. But she can serve as an anchor to this world."

"Wait, so this portal actually goes to another world?" asked Ron.

_We believe so_, answered Ramia.

"How is that even possible?" asked Ron. "How can there even be another world?"

_There are many mysteries out there,_ mused Ramia. _This is one I do not believe I have ever known the answer to._

"What do you mean by anchor?" asked Suzanne.

"Basically, Ramia will be a living waypoint for us," answered Alice. "This magic will make conventional teleportation impossible. But Ramia will allow us to return to this world."

"If this truly leads to another world how do we know we can even survive there?" asked Thomas. "We may die upon arrival."

_The portal itself should be safe to you_, answered Ramia. _But it is impossible to know what is on the other side. I realize that makes this an enormous risk._

"I see," said Suzanne. "Ramia, what I'm about to ask you is incredibly difficult. Since this is such a great risk we need to send only one of us through first to make sure it is safe. You have the greatest magical powers out of all of us. Specifically, you are most able to adapt and protect yourself. If any of us can survive what is on the other side, it's you. Could you go through the portal and make sure it is safe, Ramia?"

_I wish I could, Suzanne_, answered Ramia. _Observe._

Ramia walked over to the pit. She confidently stepped onto the pit but did not fall. _There is powerful magic working right before your eyes, though you cannot see it,_ explained Ramia. _It is reacting to the innate magic in my body, preventing me from falling into the pit._

"We believe that this is a powerful spell cast upon the portal," continued Alice. "It is specifically designed to keep Ramia out. But it will not stop human beings from going through."

"Susie, I agree with you that only one of us should go through at first," said Alice. "Thus, it must be me. After Ramia I am most experienced with magic. Should some vile power be on the other side of the portal I am the one most likely to be able to protect myself and survive."

"Wait, is this honestly the best plan we have?" asked Thomas angrily. "Send one of us through the portal and hope that instant death doesn't greet that individual on the other side?"

"I know how you feel, Tom," said Suzanne. "But we have no other choice. Alice, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Don't worry, everyone!" said Alice cheerily. "I'll be fine! I'll be back in a few minutes and bring the rest of you with me!"

"And if you don't return?" asked Thomas.

"Then I wouldn't recommend you guys jump in after me!" joked Alice.

"Stay safe," said Ron.

Alice walked to the pit and, flashing one last smile to her companions, jumped into the pit. The group could see her falling and falling until she disappeared from sight.

_The portal has activated,_ said Ramia after half a minute. _Alice has crossed to the other side._

"I hope she's alright," said Suzanne, worried.

After a minute Ramia began to glow. _Alice is returning_, she declared. The other three waited in anticipation for Alice to return. After a moment Alice appeared next to Ramia.

"I made it!" exclaimed Alice.

"How was it?" asked Suzanne. "Was it dangerous?"

"Not at all, at least not immediately," answered Alice. "It looks just like our world from little I saw. I ended up near a large house on a small island. I don't think the inhabitants saw me. The weirdest thing is that it's nighttime over there." It was early afternoon where the heroes were.

"I don't like the idea of going to this new world in its nighttime," said Suzanne. "Alright, we'll wait a few hours. It appears there's nothing inherently dangerous about being in this other world. This time we'll all go."

* * *

Author's Note: Yet another example of something that takes around five minutes in the game that gets a whole chapter in this story. Ah, the differences between a written story and an NES game.


End file.
